Longview Fire Levy Proposal—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

The Longview City Council has voted to send a fire and emergency medical services levy to voters this November. If approved, the measure would allow the Longview Fire Department to build a third fire station. The proposal would increase property taxes by $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value, which works out to about $33.50 per month for a home valued at $350,000.

Fire Chief Brad Hannig opened the discussion by outlining the need for additional resources. He cited a 2012 comprehensive study that recommended the city build two new fire stations and add approximately 18 firefighters. Since then, call volume has nearly doubled, but the city has not built those stations or added the recommended staffing.

Hannig said response times can be a matter of life and death. Modern house fires can leave residents with only about four minutes to escape. With only two stations currently operating, there are areas of Longview that cannot be reached within five minutes, particularly the Cascade-City View area and neighborhoods between Ocean Beach Highway and Washington Way west of Nichols Boulevard. If approved, the levy would increase minimum daily staffing from nine to 12 firefighters and fund construction of a third station on Ocean Beach Highway near the lake, helping close those coverage gaps.

The measure received strong support from the council. The lone dissenting vote came from Mayor Erik Halvorson, who argued the cost may be difficult for residents to absorb right now and expressed concern that placing the measure on the ballot this year could lead to its defeat. He cited a survey that suggested voters were unlikely to support it.

Councilmember Kalei LaFave said that the survey included only 300 people and said a larger sample size could produce different results. Councilmember Ruth Kendall added that the survey was conducted before the community had been fully educated about the need for the proposal.

Councilmember Wayne Nichols argued that the city has already waited 14 years and that delaying further would only make the project more expensive.

If approved by voters, the new levy would take effect at the beginning of 2027.