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Statement For · Brad Hannig
statement likely AI Committee: Chairperson
Quicker Emergency Response Saves Lives
When you call 911, every second matters. In a modern home fire, families may have only about four minutes to escape safely, and brain damage can begin within four to six minutes during a cardiac arrest. A fire can double in size every 45 seconds. When seconds matter, having cross-trained firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics arrive quickly can make the difference.
In 2012, a fire service study identified the need for two additional fire stations and 18 additional firefighters. The need has been known for years. Fourteen years later, Longview still operates from the same two stations built in 1975 and 1979. Emergency call volume has doubled over the past 20 years, yet Longview responds today with the same minimum daily firefighter staffing and the same two fire stations. We cannot continue to expect yesterday’s resources to meet today’s emergency needs.
Specific Deliverables You Can Trust
Proposition 1 is a dedicated investment, not a blank check. Approval directly funds four specific deliverables: building Station 83 on Ocean Beach Highway, hiring eight firefighter paramedic/EMTs, adding a fourth frontline engine, and replacing aging safety equipment. This closes response gaps in services.
Accountable and Equitable Safety
Under Resolution 2624, funds are legally restricted solely to fire and EMS operations. Qualifying low-income seniors and disabled residents remain eligible for county tax exemptions. Every neighbor deserves equal, rapid emergency coverage. This measure is about protecting families Please vote Yes for Fire and EMS on Proposition 1 to keep Longview safe and prepared.
Statement Against · Erik Wrzesinski
statement appears human Committee: Chairperson
Proposition 1 isn’t a temporary levy. It would increase Longview’s property-tax rate from$1.955 to $3.105 per $1,000 of assessed value–a 58.8% leap–and make the increased levy the new base for future property-tax increases.
Residents are already facing higher taxes and costs. In February 2026, voters approved a school levy, and the City has also increased water rates. Longview talks about the need for affordable housing and permanently increasing property taxes adds to the cost of both owner-occupied and rental housing.
All Longview residents fully support our firefighters, medics, and emergency response services. Our community needs reliable emergency services, properly maintained equipment, adequate staffing, and reasonable response times. However, major capital improvements should have a defined price, purpose and funding period.
The city should tell taxpayers what a new fire station and needed equipment will cost and consider a limited-duration funding measure rather than permanently increasing the property-tax base. The city should prioritize existing resources, identify efficiencies, and exhaust less expensive alternatives before asking taxpayers for another significant increase.
Vote No on Proposition 1 and ask the City to return with firm costs, meaningful alternatives and a limited funding proposal.
Rebuttal of argument for
The referenced fire study’s comparisons included industrial property outside Longview, increasing the City’s area and assessed value, each by over 29%. Proponents provide no costs for the construction, equipment and services this permanent tax would fund. New tax revenue must fund Fire/EMS, but the City could reduce the money it already spends there, replacing it with these new tax dollars, and spend the money freed up elsewhere. Vote No. Demand the complete financial picture.