What is the Everett EMS levy measure on the August 4, 2026 ballot? It is a property tax levy lid lift. If approved, the city’s emergency medical services levy rate would rise from $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to $0.50 per $1,000 — the rate Everett voters originally approved in 2000. The typical Everett homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year. The levy funds roughly 78 firefighter-paramedic positions inside the Everett Fire Department, which handles thousands of 911 medical calls annually. A simple majority is required to pass.
The short version of the August 4 ballot measure
On April 22, 2026, the Everett City Council voted to send a property tax levy lid lift for emergency medical services to the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. The measure would restore Everett’s EMS levy rate from $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to the $0.50 per $1,000 cap that Everett voters originally authorized in 2000. That is the entire measure, in one sentence.
This guide breaks the measure down in plain English: what a “levy lid lift” actually is, what your household would pay, what the money funds, why it is on the ballot yet again, and what happens if it passes or fails.
The $0.36-versus-$0.50 math in plain English
Washington property tax rates are expressed in dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. Everett’s current EMS levy rate is $0.36 per $1,000. The measure would restore it to $0.50 per $1,000.
For a home assessed at $500,000, the math is straightforward:
- Current rate ($0.36 per $1,000): 500 × $0.36 = $180 per year in EMS levy
- Proposed rate ($0.50 per $1,000): 500 × $0.50 = $250 per year in EMS levy
- Difference: $70 per year, or about $5.83 per month
The city estimates the average Everett homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year. The exact dollar figure depends on your assessed value, which you can find on your most recent Snohomish County property tax statement.
Renters do not pay property tax directly but may see the cost reflected in rents over time. Commercial property owners also pay the levy and may pass costs along to tenants.
What “levy lid lift” actually means
A levy lid lift is a ballot measure that asks voters for permission to raise a regular property tax levy back up to a previously authorized ceiling. It is not a new tax. It does not authorize a rate higher than what voters have already approved in a prior election.
The reason lid lifts exist is a 2001 state initiative, I-747, that capped year-over-year growth in regular property tax levies at 1% statewide, regardless of how fast property values or service costs rise. For a service like EMS — where labor, medical supplies, and call volume all outpace 1% inflation in most years — that ceiling gradually erodes the effective rate. A lid lift resets it.
What the 78 firefighter-paramedic positions actually do
The EMS levy funds roughly 78 firefighter-paramedic positions inside the Everett Fire Department, according to city documents presented to the City Council on April 22. These are the people who arrive when an Everett resident calls 911 for:
- A heart attack, stroke, or other medical emergency
- A car crash with injuries
- A fall or medical event at home
- An overdose or mental health crisis
- A workplace injury
- A fire with injured occupants
The Everett Fire Department responds to thousands of medical calls per year. Medical calls make up the overwhelming majority of total call volume for most urban fire departments nationally, and Everett fits that pattern. When people picture a fire department, they picture fire trucks going to fires. In reality, most of what the department does every shift is emergency medicine.
Why the levy is on the ballot again — the 2000/2010/2018/2026 pattern
Everett voters have approved EMS levy lid lifts multiple times over the past 25 years. Each time, voters have restored the rate back to the $0.50 cap originally authorized in 2000:
- 2000: Voters approved a permanent EMS levy at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
- 2010: Voters approved a lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50 after state law had allowed it to drift downward.
- 2018: Voters approved another lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50.
- 2026: The current measure, scheduled for the August 4 primary ballot.
The roughly eight-year rhythm of these votes is a direct consequence of the 1% cap — the rate drifts downward, costs rise faster than 1%, and at some point the math no longer works without a reset.
What Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco told the council
Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco addressed the City Council on April 22 in support of the measure. His framing is worth reading carefully because it is the clearest public statement of why the measure is on the ballot now.
“The fund has remained solvent throughout this period of extraordinary growth, also a global pandemic and increasing demands for service,” DeMarco told the council. “However, to remain stable and meet the growing emergency medical services needs of our community, the restoration of the levy is necessary.”
Two things to notice there. First: the EMS fund is not in crisis today. It is solvent. The case is about remaining stable going forward, not plugging an immediate hole. Second: call volume is higher than it was in 2018, when voters last restored the rate, and labor plus medical supply costs have risen in that time.
What happens if the measure passes
If the measure passes on August 4, the $0.50 per $1,000 rate would take effect in the 2027 property tax year. Homeowners would see the higher line item on their 2027 property tax statements. The Everett Fire Department would continue to fund the roughly 78 firefighter-paramedic positions and would have a more stable funding base to handle continued call-volume growth.
The passage of the lid lift does not, by itself, add new paramedic positions. It restores the funding that the existing staffing model depends on.
What happens if the measure fails
If the measure fails, the current $0.36 rate would remain in place. The city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund, which would need to be closed one of three ways:
- Reduce EMS service levels. Fewer staffed units, longer response times, reduced coverage, or consolidation of stations. This is the option city officials most often warn about in lid lift campaigns and the one voters typically react to most strongly.
- Shift costs to Everett’s general fund. The general fund is already projecting a $14 million gap in 2027, according to Mayor Cassie Franklin’s 2026 State of the City address. Shifting EMS costs into that fund would deepen the existing gap and force cuts to other city services — parks, libraries, streets, and planning.
- Return to the ballot. The city could ask voters again, possibly with a revised measure, at a later election.
How the EMS levy fits into Everett’s 2027 budget picture
The EMS levy is a separate, voter-approved fund. It does not directly close Everett’s projected $14 million 2027 general fund gap. But the two pictures are connected.
If the EMS levy fails, rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund, compounding the existing gap. This is why the same 2026 budget conversation that surfaced the EMS levy also surfaced regional fire authority discussions and a potential library regionalization — all of those are structural options for handling the same underlying pressure.
The EMS levy is the first of Everett’s 2026-era budget levers to actually reach a ballot. It is not the last.
Who can vote on this measure
Registered voters who live inside the City of Everett are eligible to vote on this measure. Voters outside Everett city limits — even elsewhere in Snohomish County — do not vote on this measure. If you are not sure whether your address is inside city limits, the Snohomish County Auditor’s office can confirm.
Ballots typically mail to registered voters roughly three weeks before election day. A simple majority (50% plus one) is required for the lid lift to pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Everett EMS levy on the ballot?
August 4, 2026 primary ballot. Ballots typically mail to registered voters about three weeks before election day.
How much will the EMS levy cost me if it passes?
The city estimates an average Everett homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year. The exact amount depends on your home’s assessed value, because the rate is charged per $1,000 of assessed value. A home assessed at $500,000 would pay about $70 more per year.
Is this a new tax?
No. Everett voters originally authorized the $0.50 per $1,000 rate in 2000. The 2026 measure is a levy lid lift that restores the rate back to that previously authorized cap. It does not create a new tax and does not authorize a rate higher than $0.50.
What does the EMS levy pay for?
Emergency medical services provided by the Everett Fire Department — ambulance, paramedic, and medical first-response calls. The levy currently funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions.
Why is this the third time Everett has voted on the $0.50 rate?
Washington state law caps regular property tax levy growth at 1% per year, even when costs and property values rise faster. That cap, set by Initiative 747 in 2001, pushes the effective rate below the voter-approved ceiling over time. A lid lift is required to reset it. Everett voters previously approved lid lifts in 2010 and 2018.
What happens if the EMS levy fails?
The current $0.36 rate remains in place. The city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund, which would need to be closed by reducing service levels, shifting costs to the general fund, or returning to the ballot with a revised measure.
Does this affect Everett’s $14 million 2027 general fund gap?
Not directly. The EMS levy is a separate, voter-approved fund. But if it fails, rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund and deepen the existing gap.
Who is eligible to vote?
Registered voters who live inside the City of Everett. Voters outside city limits do not vote on this measure. A simple majority is required to pass.
When would the new rate take effect if it passes?
The 2027 property tax year. Homeowners would see the higher line item on their 2027 property tax statements.
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