Letter: ‘We want to stagger these funding requests to reduce impacts to taxpayers’

Fire District 3 Chief Scott Soreson addresses discussions for 2023 budget

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Transparency is key to earn the trust of our taxpayers. I wanted to update our community about operations and capital projects that we are considering for Clark County Fire District 3.

Scott Sorenson, fire chief Clark County Fire District 3

The Board of Fire Commissioners is in the process of discussing its budget for 2023 based on a strategic plan we passed in 2020. This includes a fire levy lid lift for operations and eventually a bond for another station. We want to stagger these funding requests to reduce impacts to taxpayers.

The priority for our community is to add additional emergency personnel to allow for three-person engine companies to meet the national standard. Two firefighters on an engine prevents us from entering a building for search and rescue. Our community has grown to the point where fire calls require this level of staffing.

We have approached the Clark County Council – without success – to pass impact fees on new development. (The city of Battle Ground already collects them.) Impact fees are paid by new growth and would be dedicated to the additional fire station. We would still need a bond, but it reduces the amount of that debt and saves taxpayers money.

Scott Sorenson, fire chief
Fire District 3