New $1.45 fire levy was driving Marysville Fire District property tax collections up 34%

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the May 20, 2026 Marysville Fire District board meeting, the district's first-quarter 2026 financial trends analysis reported total property tax collections up 34% compared with the same period in 2025, attributed to the new $1.45 regular levy ¹. The same report showed the district had collected 30% of projected ambulance transport fees, a 22% increase over early 2025, with a 73% BLS and 27% ALS transport mix ¹. Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) fee collections — part of a federal entitlement program the district participates in — were down 11% year-to-date; separately, the state Health Care Authority reported a $225,000 overpayment error in GEMT processing that the district returned in March 2026 ¹. On the spending side, year-to-date operating expenses were up 8%, overtime costs had risen 10% to $628,000, and the district said a budget amendment would be necessary once the pending collective bargaining agreement with its firefighter union is finalized ¹. The board was also scheduled to consider a motion approving the 2025 Annual Financial Report, which Finance Director Chelsie McInnis had reviewed ahead of the meeting and which was due to the State Auditor's Office ¹.

• Year-to-date property tax collections rose 34% over 2025, attributed to the new $1.45 regular levy.
• The board was scheduled to consider a motion approving the 2025 Annual Financial Report at its May 20, 2026 meeting.
• Ambulance transport fee collections were at 30% of projections, up 22% over Q1 2025, with a 73% BLS and 27% ALS transport mix.
• GEMT fee collections were down 11% year-to-date; separately, the state HCA reported a $225,000 overpayment error in GEMT processing that was returned in March 2026.
• Overtime costs were $628,000 year-to-date, up 10% from $569,000 in 2025, and retroactive pay will be processed once the collective bargaining agreement is settled.
• A January budget amendment of $641,450 supported hiring four additional firefighters and addressed increased paramedic school tuition costs.
• Station 63 construction spending stood at $618,269 year-to-date, covering site discovery, architecture, project management, programming, and predesign work.

Why it matters

The 34% jump in property tax collections is the direct, measurable effect of the new $1.45 regular levy on what Marysville households pay for fire and ambulance service ¹. The district's January budget amendment of $641,450 to hire four additional firefighters and cover higher paramedic school tuition shows spending rising alongside the new revenue ¹. Analysis: residents watching district finances should note that final labor costs, retroactive pay, and a possible budget amendment all hinge on the still-pending collective bargaining agreement, so the full-year cost picture is not yet settled ¹.

What changed / what's next

• The district's Q1 2026 financial trends analysis attributed a 34% year-to-date increase in property tax collections to the new $1.45 regular levy ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome, including whether the board approved the 2025 Annual Financial Report ¹.
• The collective bargaining agreement remained pending; once settled, the district said it would process retroactive pay and a budget amendment may be required ¹.
• Interfund transfers to the Apparatus and Capital/Reserve Funds remained pending, contingent on sufficient property tax collections ¹.