The bottom line for Everett residents: Everett voters approved the EMS levy lid lift (Proposition 1) in the August 4, 2026 primary — about 75% voted yes in the reported results. The measure restores the EMS property tax rate from approximately $0.36 to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for the 2027 and 2028 levy years — about $80 per year, or $6.67 per month, for a $500,000 home — and funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions at Everett Fire. The reason this is on the ballot is a 2001 state law called Initiative 747, which caps how much property tax revenue cities can collect per year at 1% growth.
The August 4, 2026 primary ballot included a measure asking Everett voters to approve a levy lid lift for Emergency Medical Services — and voters approved it. Here is what was decided, what it costs, and the part most explanations skip: why this keeps ending up on the ballot. For the full structural explanation of Initiative 747, see the complete Initiative 747 guide.
Last refreshed: October 17, 2026 (Pacific).
What Voters Were Asked
Voters were asked to restore the EMS property tax levy rate — not raise it above what was originally voter-approved, but restore it to that level. The rate had drifted down from the original voter-approved figure over the past 25 years because of a state law (Initiative 747, RCW 84.55.010) that limits how much cities can collect. The approved lid lift brings the rate back from approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.50 per $1,000.
In dollars: for a home assessed at $500,000, the difference is about $70 per year. For a home at $750,000 (near the current Snohomish County median), it is about $105 per year. To calculate your exact increase: multiply your assessed value by $0.00014. Find your assessed value at snohomishcountywa.gov.
What the Money Funds
EMS levy funds go specifically to Everett Fire Department’s emergency medical services operations — the firefighter-paramedics who respond when you call 911 for a medical emergency. According to the City of Everett, the lid lift funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions — the staffing the approved measure now supports. EMS calls make up the majority of Everett Fire’s call volume. Unlike fire suppression, which can be partially handled by mutual aid agreements, medical calls require local personnel on scene fast.
Why This Is on the Ballot: Initiative 747
Initiative 747, approved by Washington voters in 2001, limits how much property tax revenue any local government can collect from existing properties each year to 1% growth. EMS costs — paramedic wages, pension contributions, ambulance equipment, fuel — grow at 3% to 7% per year. The 1% limit does not keep up. Over 25 years, the gap has grown large enough that a lid lift is needed to restore the funding relationship voters originally approved. This is why you have also seen library levies and fire service questions — same mechanism, same law, different service. For the current Snohomish County fiscal context, see the Everett $14 Million Budget Deficit Guide.
What Approval Means
The EMS levy rate restores to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for the 2027 and 2028 levy years. Approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions are funded at Everett Fire. Annual property tax bills increase by the difference between $0.50 and the previous EMS levy rate, multiplied by assessed value divided by 1,000.
What a No Vote Would Have Meant
The rate would have stayed at approximately $0.36 per $1,000, the funding gap between EMS levy revenue and EMS costs would have kept growing, and the City would have needed to address that gap through general fund allocations, service reductions, or a future ballot measure. Voters chose the restoration instead.
Key Dates
- Mid-July 2026: Voters’ Pamphlet mailed to all Snohomish County households
- August 4, 2026: Primary election — Everett voters approved Proposition 1, the EMS levy lid lift (Washington is a mail-in state; ballots arrived approximately 18 days early)
- 2027–2028: The restored $0.50 rate applies to those levy years
Frequently Asked Questions for Everett Residents
How much will my property taxes go up now that the EMS levy passed?
Approximately $80 per year for a home assessed at $500,000, starting with the 2027 levy year. Multiply your assessed value by $0.00014 to get your specific annual increase.
Is this a new tax or a restoration of an existing one?
A restoration. Voters approved the original EMS levy rate. Initiative 747’s 1% cap caused the rate to drift down over 25 years. The lid lift restores it to the voter-approved level.
What would have happened to EMS if the levy had failed?
The rate would have stayed at approximately $0.36 per $1,000 and the gap between EMS revenue and costs would have continued to widen. The City would have needed to address the gap through general fund allocations or a future ballot measure. The levy passed, so that path was not taken.
Why can’t the City Council just fund this without a vote?
Because Initiative 747 (RCW 84.55.010) requires voter approval to raise the levy rate above the 1%-cap-adjusted level. The Council does not have the authority to lift the lid on its own.
When did ballots arrive?
Approximately 18 days before August 4, 2026. Washington is a mail-in state; ballots mailed automatically to all registered voters at their registered address.
How do I find my home’s assessed value?
At the Snohomish County Assessor portal, accessible through snohomishcountywa.gov.
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