Thank you to our community!
Levy Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you asking for more money again?
In November, we proposed a permanent solution that the community felt was too much, too fast. We heard that. We have returned with a temporary, two-year “bridge” levy that is significantly smaller and has a fixed expiration date. This allows us to address immediate safety needs while remaining accountable to your feedback.
Is this a permanent property tax increase?
No. This is a “Supplementary Override,” which by Idaho law lasts for only two years. It will automatically expire in 2028. It is designed to solve a short-term funding gap caused by rapid community growth without locking taxpayers into a permanent rate increase.
Doesn’t the 3% annual budget increase cover your costs?<br />
While the law allows for a 3% increase, that cap doesn’t account for the double-digit growth in our population and emergency call volume. Currently, the district is growing much faster than the 3% cap allows us to fund. This levy bridges the gap between what the law allows and what the actual cost of safety requires.
What exactly will this money be used for?
The funds are strictly for operations and staffing. This means keeping engines on the road, maintaining 24/7 staffing at all stations, and ensuring our firefighters have the life-saving tools they need. No funds from this levy will be used for “administrative bloat”, it is entirely about “boots on the ground” and response times
What happens to my insurance rates if this doesn't pass?<br />
Fire department capabilities directly impact the Idaho Surveying and Rating Bureau (ISRB) scores for our district. If our staffing levels drop or response times increase, those scores can go down, which often leads to an increase in homeowner insurance premiums. Investing in the fire district often helps keep those private insurance costs stable.
How much will this actually cost me?
We believe in full transparency. Based on current conditions, the estimated cost is $37.77 per $100,000 of taxable property value, annually.
What has inflation looked like for the fire department?
In 2019 a fire engine cost approximately $600,000, now in 2026, those prices have almost doubled.
What is KCFRs levy rate and how has it changed in the last 10 years?
The KCFR property tax levy rate has actually gone down over recent years. Here is a breakdown of the levy rates for those years:
2014 0.001921489
2015 0.001929461
2016 0.001892048
2017 0.001890906
2018 0.001884792
2019 0.001695139
2020 0.001591843
2021 0.001419368
2022 0.000873308
2023 0.000892631
2024 0.000954170
What is KCFRs coverage area?
We cover the city of Post Falls including north to Wyoming Ave and south of the Spokane River. We cover City of Dalton Gardens, Fernan Village, Stateline and then east of Coeur d’Alene to Fourth of July Pass. Our coverage area is 115 square miles.
What effect has the population growth had on KCFR?
Our community has seen a 34.5% growth in the last 10 years and in that same time our emergency responses have increased 63%.
Why do fire trucks respond to medical calls with an ambulance?
We currently staff 5 fire trucks and 2 ambulances in our Fire District. All of our personnel are trained at the EMT or Paramedic level. We respond with both an ambulance and a fire truck to get a trained provider to the emergency as soon as possible. Keeping in mind that brain death begins in 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen so it is very important that a provider is close to the emergency.
Another factor that we take into consideration is that it usually takes more personnel to safely move a patient who is unable to walk or stand. When a patient is in cardiac arrest, it requires up to 6 providers to complete all of the time sensitive life saving measures. We never truly know what the emergency is that we are responding to and we feel that the life and safety of our community is worth sending multiple apparatus to.
Adapting to Population Growth in North Idaho
2022 saw tremendous growth in our area in regards to population and consequently supportive development to accommodate this growth, but more specifically, our Department also had growth which is designed to support our community. Our Department participated in many drills and exercises with outside agencies for larger scale incidents. These types of trainings are typically attended by Law Enforcement, Military, Hospital and Health Care agencies as well as other area Fire Agencies. We continue to develop our Training Campus which allows for more qualitative training opportunities for our members and those who utilize our campus. We added 6 more firefighters to our rank and file following a 10 week fire academy ending mid-February 2023, and have secured funding to build storage buildings and a remote outdoor classroom for training evolutions on the training grounds.