Sagle postponing levy election

SAGLE — The Sagle Fire District's board of commissioners voted Monday to postpone its ballot request for a levy increase from voters.

Fire district commissioners said they were delaying the levy vote until May of next year because Bonner County commissioners declined to enact an ordinance permitting Sagle to begin taxing on unimproved lands. Without the change in tax policy, the district's $291,000 annual levy increase exceeds their taxing authority.

The ordinance is required because Bonner County collects taxes on behalf of all taxing districts within its bounds.

“We are at a standstill,” Sagle Fire commission Steve Fels said.

Fire commissioners agreed that the Nov. 3 election is too close to commence litigation compelling the county to recognize the wishes of the fire district.

“At this particular time, the county commissioners are choosing not to recognize the will of the Sagle Fire board,” Chief Ron Stocking said.

The board also agreed that asking voters for a reduced amount would not accomplish their goals, which include retaining three firefighters and staffing its Careywood station to improve response times.

However, Fels said the district would pursue the ordinance enabling to district to begin taxing unimproved parcels in 2017.

Bonner County commission Chairman Cary Kelly said the county has no position on Sagle's efforts to boost tax revenue.

“We just don't have a dog in the fight. It's fine either way,” he said.

However, Kelly said the board is hanging back on the ordinance because the deadline to have one in place isn't until July 2016. Moreover, the county wanted to see if voters would embrace or reject the levy increase on Nov. 3.

“Why don't we see what they want and if that passes, then it's just kind of administrative matter a year from now to go ahead and expand the (tax) base,” said Kelly.

Sagle contends the county is conflating the tax policy shift with the levy and that both matters should be considered independently of one another.

Sagle officials have asserted that the county is obstructing the district following a messy break with Bonner County EMS. Bonner County canceled an EMS contract with Sagle, which the district blames for the loss of three firefighting positions.

The county counters that its funds should not have been used to sustain the positions, which were created under a temporary federal grant.