WFR Revenue

WFR Revenue

Woodinville Fire & Rescue is funded by two sources of revenue.

The largest revenue source is through a King County property tax based on assessed value of a property located within the District; the other source is through a Fire Benefit Charge.

Sources

Woodinville Fire & Rescue’s property tax amount has three components:

  • The levy amount
  • The assessed value of the properties in our service area
  • The levy rate

In Washington, property-tax increases are not based on the increasing value of properties but rather the amount of the property taxes that were assessed in the prior year.

There are limits to property-tax increases. Each year’s levy may be increased by no more than 1% unless the public votes for a greater increase – commonly called a “levy lid lift” – or unless the jurisdiction uses banked capacity.

Due to these limits, WFR relies on the voter-approved Fire Benefit Charge to maintain the revenue needed to provide outstanding service to our citizens.

Detailed and comprehensive information may be found at Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC).

The voter-approved Fire Benefit Charge (FBC), though collected with property tax, is not a tax; it is a fee based on the use and square footage of all structures on a property.

A portion of the agency’s taxing authority is given up when an FBC is put in place as a revenue stream. The FBC is part of the Overall Collection Rate, which refers to an estimated combined rate of the property tax plus the benefit charge, spread across the properties in the District.

Given property-tax limits, the FBC allows the District to maintain essential training for firefighters, purchase life-saving equipment, and ensure dependable levels of service to the community. The District works hard to keep the FBC collection below the limit of 60% of operating expenses.

On April 23, 2019, the Fire Benefit Charge was renewed by registered voters living within the District.

Senior Citizens / Disabled Tax Exemption Information

To learn more about the FBC, please visit our FAQ visit.

Read the FBC FAQ

To learn more about the petition for adjustment of the FBC visit:

FIRE BENEFIT CHARGE PETITION