Town buys all of fire hall; Council bumps up 2018 property tax

The fire station on Chilberg Road is now solely the Town of La Conner’s. Town Council unanimously approved that Mayor Hayes sign the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Fire Hall at its November 28 meeting. This fall the Town negotiated the $563,750 price to buy Fire District 13’s half ownership.

A loan from Kitsap Bank finances the purchase for the entire amount.

The Council also unanimously approved increasing the 2018 property tax levy effectively by one percent over 2016.

On the income side, the La Conner Senior Center is getting a $6,856 grant from Skagit County.

Two public hearings lasted less than a minute each: No citizen attended either the preliminary budget or the revenue source and property tax hearing. The Council votes on the 2018 budget on December 12.

Coming full circle, Fire Chief Morrison shared the Department’s desire to change its name to La Conner Hook & Ladder, its founding, 1886, name at the meeting’s end. All of Council agreed to the change.

The meeting opened with Mayor Hayes introducing Scott Thomas, the Town’s new administrator and attorney. Thomas had spent the afternoon with Administrator and Town Planner John Doyle. Before adjourning, Hayes again welcomed Thomas aboard and asked him how felt. The soon-to-be town administrator replied, “I feel right at home.”

Council Member Mary Wohleb did not attend and was excused from the meeting.