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closeSumner voters say yes to merge
Special election yields approval from local residents in multiple districts to have Sumner annex into Fire District 22
Roxanne Cooke
As of Monday, Sumner’s annexation into Fire District 22 was passing by a large majority in all three groups of voters — the city of Sumner, Fire District 1 and Fire District 22.
The results show a “phenomenal vote of confidence,” said Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow.
“I think people saw it was the right thing to do and recognized the quality of service that they were getting,” he said.
Annexation into Fire District 22, also known as East Pierce Fire and Rescue, was an option the city brought forward to help save money and increase revenue to avoid a potential $7.35 million deficit. The annexation will save the city approximately $5 million over the next five years.
The annexation move was part of a 10-year consolidation agreement with East Pierce Fire and Rescue, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2007. Since then, East Pierce has provided Sumner residents with fire and emergency medical services.
Though East Pierce Fire Chief Dan Packer wasn’t surprised at the results — he knew there was strong support present —he’s never seen numbers so high in support of this sort of idea, he said.
“That was very gratifying to see,” Packer said.
East Pierce provides higher quality service, training and resources than Sumner can afford, Enslow said.
“I think everybody wins on that deal,” he said.
If the annexation is approved, Sumner residents become voting members of East Pierce Fire and Rescue and are able to vote on the tax rate, elect fire commissioners and pay emergency service (EMS) and fire taxes directly to the district, eliminating the city as the go-between.
Three groups of voters were involved in the election. Residents of Sumner voted to be fully annexed into Fire District 22 for fire and emergency medical services; residents of Fire District 1, south of Sumner, voted on merging with Fire District 22 and residents of Fire District 22 voted on annexing the city of Sumner.
Officials said the annexation wouldn’t affect current fire service, which is provided by East Pierce Fire and Rescue through the 10-year contract. Annexation changes the governance so that residents receive fire service as a resident of the district rather than through a contract.
Though Sumner Councilman Matt Richardson said he felt that city officials didn’t disseminate all of the information regarding the annexation, he still supports whatever decision the voters make.
“I stand behind the decision that the public makes and I’ll fully support it,” Richardson said.
Information Richardson said wasn’t appropriately shared with the public included the fact that Sumner hands over its fire station and equipment to East Pierce with no compensation. He suggested to council that the city request half the value in the trade, but other council members disagreed, he said.
“I feel like we gave that away very cheap,” Richardson said.
Another fact the city did not share, he added, is Sumner’s lack of representation on the Fire District board if the annexation passes. Unless a Sumner resident is elected, representation is not guaranteed, he said.
Still, he voted with the rest of the council to bring the annexation issue to the public for a vote.
The Sumner Fire Station will remain where it is after annexation, and as long as it’s used for fire services, Enslow said nothing would change. If its use changes, the fire station would revert back to the city’s ownership.
“That’s why it makes sense to gift it to (East Pierce Fire and Rescue),” he said.
The fire equipment went to East Pierce at the start of the 10-year contract. The only exception is the antique Kenworth fire engine, used in town parades. It will always remain Sumner property.
Packer said the annexation isn’t an ending; it’s a chance to start anew and provide a high quality fire and emergency service system for the entire area.
“It’s a new beginning of a new stage in continuing to improve services for fire and for emergency service,” Packer said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS AS OF MONDAY, APRIL 28
Unofficial results of Proposition No. 1, annexation of the city of Sumner into Pierce County Fire Protection District 22 (also known as East Pierce Fire and Rescue). Information gleaned from Pierce County Auditor’s Web site Monday, April 28.
> City of Sumner Approved — 1,331/89.27 percent Rejected — 160/10.73 percent
> Fire Protection District 1 Approved — 301/92.05 percent Rejected — 26/7.95 percent
> Fire Protection District 22 Approved — 5,393/89.2 percent Rejected — 653/10.8 percent
Source: Pierce County Auditor’s Web site, www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/aud For more information about the election, visit www.ci.sumner.wa.us