The North Mason Regional Fire Authority will ask voters this August to renew its existing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Levy in order to continue providing critical emergency medical response services to the North Mason community. The proposed levy renewal is not a new tax, but rather a continuation of the EMS levy that local voters have consistently supported for more than 40 years. Under Washington State law, EMS levies must be renewed by voters every six years. The current levy, approved by voters in 2020, will expire at the end of 2026.

Emergency medical services represent the vast majority of the Fire Authority’s work, accounting for approximately 85 percent of the Fire Authority’s 3000 annual emergency responses. Funding generated through the EMS levy directly supports paramedic and EMT staffing, ambulance transport services, emergency medical response operations, advanced prehospital medical care, and the equipment and operational readiness necessary to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. These services are essential in responding to cardiac arrests, strokes, traumatic injuries, vehicle collisions, breathing emergencies, and a wide range of other medical incidents affecting residents and visitors throughout North Mason.

The EMS Levy renewal will appear before voters during the August 4, 2026 Primary Election. If approved, the levy would continue uninterrupted funding for emergency medical services beginning in 2027 and extending through the next six-year levy cycle.

According to Fire Authority Fire Chief Beau Bakken, renewing the EMS levy is essential to maintaining reliable emergency medical response capabilities across the Fire Authority. Levy funding will help sustain advanced life-saving EMS services while supporting dedicated staffing at its Trails End Lake Fire Station. The renewal would also help reduce emergency response times for residents along the South Shore and ensure emergency crews assigned to Belfair, Tahuya, and Collins Lake remain available to respond to emergencies throughout Belfair and the Tahuya Peninsula. Collectively, these investments strengthen emergency response coverage across the entire Fire Authority service area while allowing the organization to continue to carefully manage taxpayer resources.

Fire Authority officials emphasized that EMS levy funds are legally restricted for EMS-related services and operations and cannot be diverted for unrelated purposes. Fire services are funded by the Authority’s Fire Levy.  The Authority’s Mobile Integrated Health Program, which supports emergency crews, is fully funded by outside funding and grants.

The proposed EMS levy renewal would continue the levy at a rate of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, the same rate approved by voters in 2020. For the owners of a home assessed by the Mason County Assessor at $500,000, the annual cost of the EMS levy would be approximately $250 per year, or $20.83 per month.