North Whatcom Fire and Rescue seeks levy lid lift on August ballot

It's the fire district's fourth attempt at upgrading services to meet growing public demand.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 12:38am

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North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, one of Whatcom County's largest fire districts, is planning to place a fire levy rate renewal on the August primary election ballot. If approved, it would raise the current levy rate from 76 cents to $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The revenue would help the fire district increase staffing, replace aging equipment, and rebuild the aging Station 63 in Birch Bay, among other upgrades.

Why it matters

The fire district serves nearly 34,000 people across several communities in Whatcom County, including Lynden, Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer, Laurel, and Semiahmoo. The district is struggling to keep up with the growing population and needs additional funding to maintain and improve its emergency services.

The details

Fire Chief Jason Van der Veen stated that the district is 'up against a wall' and has been able to 'stretch and make things work for a long time' but now requires more resources. This is the fire district's fourth attempt at passing a levy lid lift, with previous tries in 2021 and 2024 all failing.

  • The fire levy rate renewal will be on the August primary election ballot.

The players

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue

Also known as Fire District 21, it is one of Whatcom County's largest fire districts serving nearly 34,000 people across several communities.

Jason Van der Veen

The fire chief of North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, who stated the district is struggling to keep up with the growing population and needs additional funding.

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What they’re saying

“We've been able to stretch and make things work for a long time, but we are just up against a wall.”

— Jason Van der Veen, Fire Chief

What’s next

If the levy lid lift is approved by voters in August, the fire district will be able to increase staffing, replace aging equipment, and rebuild the aging Station 63 in Birch Bay.

The takeaway

This levy lid lift is a critical step for North Whatcom Fire and Rescue to maintain and improve its emergency services in the face of a growing population across the communities it serves. The district's previous attempts to secure additional funding have failed, underscoring the importance of this upcoming vote.