The proposed 0.1% sales tax increase would generate an estimated $3.9 million for the county’s emergency dispatch center, which Skagit 911 leadership says will fund technology upgrades, improved radio coverage and possibly a new facility.
Emergency dispatch is the public’s first interaction with the 911 system, but currently has outdated equipment and fewer staff than it needs, said Liz Loomis, a consultant hired by the Skagit 911 Board of Directors to lead the campaign for the tax increase.
While the center needs more dispatchers to keep up a growing need, it does not have the space to put them, she said at a meeting Thursday. A new facility would help Skagit 911 improve its capacity and work more efficiently.
Another issue is that parts of rural Skagit County lack radio coverage, meaning first responders are unable to communicate with dispatch and each other, Loomis said.
Mike Voss, technical services manager for Skagit 911, said the technology used by Skagit 911 becomes outdated quickly, and needs to be upgraded every five to 15 years.
“In order to provide good service to the public, that equipment needs to be replaced at regular intervals,” Voss said.
A 0.1% sales tax increase equates to an extra 10 cents on a $100 purchase, Loomis said. Even with the proposed increase, the sales tax rate in Skagit County would be lower than in Snohomish County and comparable to Whatcom County.
Skagit 911’s board will vote at its meeting in May on whether to include the tax increase on the November ballot.
Burlington Mayor Steve Sexton, who serves on the board, opposes the sales tax increase, saying he feels alternatives haven’t been explored.
During a time of high inflation and relatively low interest rates, he said it may make more sense to borrow money.
“I don’t know if we’ve examined all the other ways we can meet this need,” he said at Thursday’s meeting.
The board had first intended to put the tax increase to a vote in 2021, but missed the deadline to include it on the November general election ballot.
— Reporter Brandon Stone: bstone@skagitpublishing.com, 360-416-2112, Twitter: @Brandon_SVH
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