Camas Lux Nest & Beyond

Camas and Washougal city leaders have taken a significant step toward enhancing regional fire protection services by approving a joint resolution to place the formation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) on the November 4, 2025, ballot. This renewed proposal comes after a previous attempt narrowly failed by approximately 300 votes. The revised plan offers property owners in both communities a clearer picture of financial impacts, with each city committing to reduce its existing property tax levies to offset the new RFA costs.

Under the proposed RFA, both communities would see a uniform fire service levy rate of $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value beginning January 2027. The City of Camas would reduce its current property tax by $0.71 per $1,000, while Washougal would reduce its levy by $0.88 per $1,000. Beyond financial considerations, the RFA promises enhanced service levels with three-person emergency response teams and would eliminate ambulance transport fees for residents within the authority’s jurisdiction, providing both improved safety and financial relief for those needing emergency medical transport.

The financial structure of the proposed RFA has been carefully recalibrated following community feedback from the previous ballot measure. For Camas homeowners, the net increase would amount to $0.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This translates to an estimated annual increase of $221 (or $18.41 monthly) for a Camas home valued at the city average of $650,000. This adjustment reflects the city’s commitment to reducing its general property tax by the full amount currently allocated to fire services.

Washougal property owners would see a smaller net increase of $0.17 per $1,000 of assessed value. For a home valued at the Washougal average of $583,000, this represents an annual increase of approximately $99.11 (or $8.26 monthly). Notably, the estimated $0.88 rate reduction for Washougal includes the scheduled expiration of the city’s six-year Fire/EMS levy lid lift after 2026. With the RFA in place, Washougal would not need to renew this levy, which was last renewed in 2020 at a rate of $0.10 per $1,000.

The revised RFA proposal demonstrates how city officials have responded to community concerns following the previous ballot measure’s narrow defeat. Initially, Camas had planned to reduce its general property tax levy by $0.60 per $1,000, rather than the full $0.71 that represented the actual cost of fire department services. This approach was intended to maintain funding for other essential city services but drew criticism from some residents concerned about overall tax impacts.

After reassessing the financial structure, both cities have created resolutions of intent to reduce their general property taxes by the full cost of their respective contributions to fire services. This transparent approach aims to address previous concerns while still delivering enhanced emergency services. Residents seeking additional information about the proposal can visit dedicated informational websites established by both cities: engagecamas.com/rfa-proposal or cityofwashougal.us/RFA. These resources provide detailed explanations of the financial implications and service improvements associated with the proposed Regional Fire Authority.