A vote on a proposed levy lid lift for North Whidbey Fire and Rescue is less than a month away.

In order to educate the public on the details of the proposal, which will appear on the Aug. 1 primary ballot, officials at the fire district are holding a series of community meetings.

“The purpose is to give the public information and answer questions so they can make an informed decision,” Fire Chief Mike Brown said.

People who live in the large district, which includes unincorporated areas from Deception Pass to Libbey Road, will vote on a proposed 35-cent levy lid lift. If it passes, it will amount to an extra $70 a year for the owner of a home worth $200,000.

The total levy would be $1.11 annually for every $1,000 of assessed value.

The lid increase could add an extra $738,000 a year to the district’s budget. The annual budget totals about $2 million.

The last levy increase to pass was way back in 1989.

So far, Brown said, people at the meetings have been very supportive of the levy. They’ve asked questions about what the district does and what the plans for increased levy dollars are.

Fire commissioners said they hope to use the funds to replace aging trucks and other equipment and fix up or replace deteriorating fire stations.

The proposal for the levy-lid lift isn’t without controversy. At least one of the four men running for a fire commissioner seat is against the measure.

The next meetings are from 10 a.m. to noon, July 8, at the Zylstra Road fire station; 7 p.m., July 12, at the Heller Road fire station; and 10 a.m. to noon, July 15 at the station on Monroe Landing Road.