RES 25-011
JOINT RESOLUTION
CITY OF CAMAS RESOLUTION NO. 25-011 CITY OF WASHOUGAL RESOLUTION NO. 1258 A JOINT RESOLUTION of the City Council of the City of Camas, Washington, and the City
Council of the City of Washougal, Washington, providing for the submission to qualified
electors of the City of Camas and the City of Washougal, at the general election to be held
on November 4, 2025, of a proposition that, pursuant to Chapter 52.26 of the Revised Code
of Washington, approves a plan to form a Regional Fire Protection Authority to be known as
the Camas-Washougal Fire Authority within the boundaries of the City of Camas and the City
of Washougal, effective September 1, 2026.
RECITALS
A. The ability and demands to respond to emergency situations by fire protection and
emergency medical service agencies has increased and progressed with community
needs and special service demands. Providing an effective fire protection and
emergency medical service system requires a collaborative partnership and
responsibility among local and regional governments and the private sector.
B. There are efficiencies that can be gained by regional fire protection and emergency
medical service delivery, while maintaining local control.
C. The City of Camas ("Camas") and the City of Washougal, ("Washougal") have had a
long-standing cooperative partnership, striving to provide the highest level of fire
and emergency medical services to their citizens within the confines of available
resources. This cooperative partnership began in the 1970s with the provision of
a regional ambulance service and culminated with an interlocal agreement in
2014, which provided for a consolidation of services as the Camas Washougal Fire
Department, with Camas providing services to Washougal. While this
cooperative relationship has served the public well for many years, as a result
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Resolution 25-011
of the needs of a growing community and demands for enhanced fire and EMS
services, Camas and Washougal have determined that it is in the public interest
to place a measure before the voters that if approved would result in the
formation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA).
D. Pursuant to RCW 52.26.030 and 52.26.040 the cities of Camas and Washougal
formed an RFA Planning Committee to evaluate the feasibility of creating a new
and separate regional fire authority to provide the fire protection and emergency
services within the boundaries of Camas and Washougal. The members of the
Planning Committee included three City Council members from Camas and three
City Council members from Washougal. Over a period of several months, the
Planning Committee met and created a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) Plan ("Plan")
providing for the governance, design, financing, and development of fire
protection and emergency services.
E. The Planning Committee held its final meeting on October 16, 2024, and
recommended approval of the Plan to the Camas City Council and Washougal City
Council. The Camas City Council and Washougal City Council met in joint work
session on November 6, 2024, to review the recommended Plan. By adoption of
this Joint Resolution, the Plan is formally adopted and certified to the ballot
pursuant to RCW 52.26.060 by both the City of Camas and the City of Washougal.
Copies of the Plan are available from the administrative offices of the City of
Camas and the City of Washougal.
F. Authority to form a RFA is authorized by Chapter 52.26 RCW. Chapter 52.26 RCW
requires that in order to form an RFA, the Plan must be approved by the voters of the
area affected by the Plan. Therefore, in accordance with the Plan and state law, the
Camas City Council and the Washougal City Council placed before voters within the
proposed service boundaries of the RFA at a special election held on April 22, 2025, a
proposition calling for the creation of a RFA which shall be known as the Camas-
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Washougal Fire Authority to be funded by a $1.05 per $1,000 assessed value property
tax levy and the approval of the Plan, all in accordance with state law.
G. The result of the April 22, 2025, special election indicates that the RFA Plan was not
approved by participating voters.
H. On January 29, 2024, Camas and Washougal executed a MODIFICATION AND
CONDITIONAL EXTENSION OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITIES OF
CAMAS AND WASHOUGAL FOR THE FORMATION AND OPERATION OF THE CAMAS-
WASHOUGAL FIRE DEPARTMENT DATED DECEMBER 4, 2013.
I. Item #1 of the Modification and Conditional Extension provides that “ …the parties
bind themselves to place the RFA Plan on the ballot for April 2025 and, if necessary,
for November 2025.”
J. Therefore, in accordance with the Modification and Conditional Extension, Plan and
state law, the Camas City Council and the Washougal City Council have determined
that it is appropriate to place before voters within the proposed service boundaries
of the RFA at the general election to be held on November 4, 2025, a proposition
calling for the creation of a RFA which shall be known as the Camas-Washougal Fire
Authority to be funded by a $1.05 per $1,000 assessed value property tax levy and
the approval of the Plan, all in accordance with state law.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CAMAS,
WASHINGTON, AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WASHOUGAL WASHINGTON, AS
FOLLOWS:
RESOLUTION
SECTION 1. - Adoption of Plan for the Camas-Washougal Fire Authority. The City Council
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Resolution 25-011
of the City of Camas and the City Council of the City of Washougal hereby formally adopt
the 2025Regional Fire Authority (RFA) Plan. A true and correct copy of which is attached
as Exhibit A and incorporated by this reference.
SECTION 2. - Findings of Camas City Council and Washougal City Council. The City Council
of the City of Camas, Washington, and the City Council of the City of Washougal,
Washington, hereby adopt each of the recitals above as findings and further find that it is
in the best interest of the City of Camas and the City of Washougal to submit to the
qualified electors of the City of Camas and the City of Washougal at the general election
to be held on November 4, 2025, a proposition to adopt the Plan that creates a RFA which
shall be known as the Camas-Washougal Fire Authority, which if approved will be funded
by a property tax not to exceed $1.05 per thousand of assessed value. If approved by
a majority of the total persons voting on the ballot measure within the boundaries of
the authority in accordance with RCW 52.26.060, effective September 1, 2026, this
proposition would create a RFA as provided in Chapter 52.26 RCW with boundaries
coextensive with the boundaries of the City of Camas and the City of Washougal.
SECTION 3. - Proposition for Voter Submittal. There shall be submitted to the qualified
electors of the City of Camas and the City of Washougal for their approval or rejection,
at the general election on November 4, 2025, the question of whether or not the RFA
known as the Camas-Washougal Fire Authority should be created in accordance with
the Plan and funded with the real property tax levies referenced above. The City Council of
the City of Camas and the City Council of the City of Washougal hereby request that the
auditor of Clark County, as ex-officio Supervisor of Elections, call such election and submit
the following proposition at such election, in the form of a ballot title substantially as follows:
PROPOSITION NO. ___
The City Council of the City of Camas and the City Council of the City of Washougal have
adopted a Joint Resolution approving the Regional Fire Authority Service Plan ("Plan")
concerning the creation of a Regional Fire Protection Authority (“RFA").
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This proposition would approve the Plan and create a Regional Fire Authority to be
known as the Camas-Washougal Fire Authority, effective September 1, 2026, to
provide fire protection and emergency medical services in the City of Camas and the
City of Washougal. The RFA would be funded by property tax ($1.05 per $1,000 of
assessed value).
Shall the registered voters residing within the cities of Camas and Washougal approve
the formation of a regional fire authority (RFA) and approve the RFA Plan proposed by
the cities of Camas and Washougal?
Yes ____
No ____
SECTION 4. Without further action of the Camas City Council and the Washougal City
Council the ballot proposition language set forth in Section 3 above may be revised to
correct scrivener's errors and to conform with statutory requirements.
SECTION 5. - Pro and Con Committee Appointments. The Camas City Council and the
Washougal City Council hereby assign to the Joint Policy Advisory Committee the task of
appointing members to a committee to advocate voters' approval of the proposition and
to a committee to prepare arguments advocating voters' rejection of the proposition.
SECTION 6. - Severability. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or
phrase of this Resolution is declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
SECTION 7. - Ratification. Any act consistent with the authority and prior to the
effective date of this Resolution is hereby ratified and affirmed.
SECTION 8. - Effective Date. This Resolution shall take effect and be in force
immediately upon its passage.
SECTION 9. - Triplicate Originals. Three originals of this Resolution are signed by the City
of Camas and the City of Washougal.
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Resolution 25-011
PASSED at a regular or special open public meeting by the City Council of the City of
Camas, Washington, this 21st day of July, 2025.
PASSED at a regular or special open public meeting by the City Council of the City of
Washougal, Washington, this 14th day of July, 2025.
City of Camas, Washington
__________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________ City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________ City Attorney
City of Washougal, Washington __________________________ Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
City Attorney
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