The City of Everett and Everett Fire thank Everett voters and community members who took time to learn about Proposition 1, ask questions, attend meetings and make their voices heard.
Preliminary election results show Everett voters approved Proposition 1, the Emergency Medical Services levy lid lift, with strong support from nearly 75% of voters.
“Thank you, Everett voters!” Mayor Cassie Franklin said. “Our emergency responders and EMS services are critical to maintaining a healthy and safe community. This invests in quality services that Everett families need if they experience a crisis, and I’m grateful the community agrees.”
Proposition 1 will restore Everett’s dedicated EMS levy rate from approximately 36 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value beginning in 2027. The rate will remain fixed at 50 cents in 2027 and 2028 before again becoming subject to the state’s annual 1% revenue limitation.
“We are deeply grateful to Everett voters for the trust they continue to place in us,” Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco said. “Our firefighter EMTs and paramedics meet people on some of the hardest days of their lives, and this measure will help ensure they have the training, equipment and resources needed to provide care when it matters most. We do not take this approval or the vote of confidence it represents lightly. We will continue to manage these funds responsibly and provide the dependable emergency medical response our community expects.”
The EMS levy is a dedicated funding source for Everett Fire’s emergency medical response system. It helps fund firefighter EMTs and paramedics, ambulances and other EMS vehicles, medical equipment and medications, training and certifications, facilities and community education programs.
More than 80% of Everett Fire’s calls are medical emergencies. Whether someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, a serious injury, difficulty breathing or another medical crisis, Everett Fire crews are trained and equipped to provide care as quickly as possible.
Everett Fire will continue to share information as the measure is implemented and provide updates about how EMS levy funding supports emergency medical services throughout the city.