°ÄÃŲ©²Ê¹ÙÍø

I am writing to urge a "yes" vote on the May 20 fire levy election.

Last year, the night of the big July 4th fire in town, we also had a terrible fire in my Bottle Bay neighborhood. That experience opened my eyes, and my neighbors’, that we have inadequate and underfunded fire services.

The North Idaho focus on low taxes is laudable, but only to a point. When it comes to our fire districts, that focus has left us with a very dangerous situation. I’m happy that Safeco has not canceled my fire insurance, as has happened to two friends. But my monthly cost for insurance is $400/month. In contrast, improving fire services to my home will, with the new levy, add only $176/year to my property tax bill. 

In a recent letter from °ÄÃŲ©²Ê¹ÙÍø Republican Women, Inc., they put forth wrong and inaccurate information about the cost of the proposed levy. Please, do your own calculations. The levy rate for our Sagle district is $34 per $100,000 of assessed value of a structure (i.e., your actual home, not vacant land or your lot).

Compared to the cost of my fire insurance and the risk of losing it all, I am happy to vote yes on the levy increase. I urge you, and your neighbors, to do the same.

JUDY MEYERS

Sagle