The Longview City Council has placed a property tax levy lid lift on the November 3, 2026, ballot to fund the construction of a third fire station and increase emergency staffing. If approved, Proposition 1 would authorize an additional $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed property value, costing the owner of a median-priced home in Longview approximately $32 per month.

The measure is intended to address a five-minute response time gap in several Longview neighborhoods, including Columbia Heights, Northlake, the Olympic area, and The Highlands. According to city documents, these areas currently fall outside the five-minute radius of the city’s two existing stations. The proposed Station #83 would be located on Ocean Beach Highway to provide closer coverage to these neighborhoods and overlapping support for the Old West Side, St. Helens, and downtown areas.

Under Washington law, local property tax revenue increases are generally limited to 1% annually. The city states this limit has not kept pace with the rising costs of staffing, equipment, and facilities. A 2012 deployment and staffing study previously identified a need for two additional stations and 18 more firefighters to maintain service levels. Since that study, the department reports it has added three firefighters.

Response times are a primary factor in the proposal. Fire officials note that modern house fires can become unsurvivable in approximately four minutes, compared to 17 minutes in 1980, due to the materials used in contemporary home furnishings. Additionally, irreversible brain injury during cardiac arrest can begin within four to six minutes. The department reports that medical emergencies now account for 70% to 80% of its total call volume.

Beyond the construction of Station #83, the levy would fund additional firefighters and paramedics, a fourth response unit, and the replacement of aging fire engines and equipment. It would also support fire and EMS prevention programs. If the measure fails, the city indicates it will continue to manage increasing service demands within existing budget constraints, though pressures on response capacity and equipment reliability will persist.