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Dear JW,

First, thank you for your response. Our community needs a vigorous debate over such an important issue as this. But that vigorous debate should be based on facts that can be independently and objectively verified. To that end, please provide the public with the objective and independent evidence that the "federal funding component for the program has evaporated". If you are verifiably correct with source documentation, not just statements from interested parties, I will accept it BUT you have to answer the second question: How will you pay for it when the current plan counts on the federal funding?

Please provide the funding source that the RFA will use to replace the evaporated federal funding. It is VERY important for you to explain where the replacement money will come from as the current RFA Financial Plan assumes the federal money. If you truly believe the funding is gone, you can't claim the 18 firefighters (plus 2 admin) and the CARES program without a viable way to pay for it.

The RFA cannot claim to provide those firefighters as an RFA advantage without also providing a way to fund them.

You may comfort yourself in knowing (though not sharing with the voters) that you could increase the fire benefit charge much higher than the current $10.5 million to pay for them and without going to the public for approval. But that would require telling the public how much higher their property tax bill will be to pay for it.

You can't have it both ways.

So what is it? And how much higher will the Fire Benefit Charge have to go beyond the $10.5 million?

As always, we attempt to get the facts before the voters and let them evaluate the claims with their own eyes and critical thinking skills. Here are the source documentation from the RFA Financial plan that shows the funding for BLS/CARES as a separate revenue source that is not from the property tax nor the fire benefit charge under the line "Other Revenues". Below it is the detail of "Other Revenues" and at the bottom you will see the "BLS Transport/CARES revenue-Oly". There is an empty line awaiting a decision by Tumwater to get on board with their version of the programs. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HOsfkCORV4s2H3GqVG4_EbStubxE9uBz/view?usp=sharing

For more facts that are backed by evidence from source materials, go to www.SaveOurFD.org or jump to the relevant page at https://www.saveourfd.org/basic-life-support.

The more you know, the better your choice will be for this important service. We have a great fire department and we have the financial wherewithall to fund it without an RFA. And without an RFA we will do it more efficiently and without a new very regressive tax/fee.