The South King Fire and Rescue Proposition 1 would authorize the issuance of $39 million of general obligation bonds to be repaid over 20 years and the levy of annual property taxes to repay the bonds.

Our estimate of the levy rate is $0.16 per thousand of assessed valuation, which converts to about $40 per year, or $3.33 per month, for a residential property worth $250,000, according to the explanatory statement.

That levy amount stated above is not contained in the ballot measure and the only reference to the amount is found in South King Fire District resolution 504 that is referenced in the initiative and their bond measure mailer.

Resolution 504 actually states the tax will be “payable out of annual tax levies to be made upon all the taxable properties within the district without limitation as to rate or amount and in excess to any constitutional or statutory tax limitations.”

Please note also that resolution 504 is not printed at all in the proposition or in any of the supplemental materials. We are indeed required to look it up if we want to be properly informed of the total contents of the propositions, which can only be found online or in person at King county elections or at South King Fire and Rescue’s office.

John Neyman, Federal Way