The fire district serving West Richland and other unincorporated parts of Benton County will ask its residents to raise their property taxes to meet increasing demands for services and growing costs. 

Benton Fire District 4’s board of commissioners recently voted to place a levy lid lift on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot. 

If approved by voters, the tax increase would restore the district’s fire levy to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The rate currently sits at $1.31 due to state limits on annual property tax growth.  

The proposed levy would cost the owner of a $350,000 home about $5.54 per month, or $66.50 per year. 

The additional funding would enable the district to hire six firefighters, replace an aging fire engine and strengthen water rescue, as well as fire and life safety prevention programs, according to a district news release. 

“Fire and EMS services are something we all depend on,” said Fire Chief Paul Carlyle in a statement. “This proposal is about maintaining reliable emergency response and making sure we have the staffing, equipment and training needed to serve the community as it continues to grow.” 

The district has three stations to serve a roughly 52-square-mile area encompassing West Richland and properties north to the Yakima River.  

The agency responded to 2,350 calls in 2025, a 160% increase over the past 15 years, the district has previously stated. At the same time, parts and maintenance for some emergency equipment increased 220%, firefighter protective equipment 129% and cybersecurity upgrades 251% in the last year alone. 

Learn more about the levy lid lift proposal at bcfd4.org/levy-info. The fire district is also planning to hold outreach events and opportunities on the measure through the spring and summer.