KPFD’s 2026 Budget Rebounds After M&O Levy Loss, EMS Win

The Key Peninsula Fire District can rebuild much of what it cut last year after the board of commissioners unanimously approved a 2026 operating budget that restores training, equipment replacement, and staffing flexibility. The district’s new budget totals $13.7 million, an increase of roughly $1.7 million over 2025 — a jump made possible almost entirely by the passage of the EMS levy earlier this year.

The levy adds more than $906,000 in EMS tax revenue alone, a 55% increase, while regular property taxes bring in an additional $543,000. Together, tax revenues grow by nearly $1.45 million heading into 2026.

“Most of the items we focused on in the 2026 budget were items we had to defer in 2025 due to the loss of the Maintenance and Operations levy,” said KPFD Chief Nick Swinhart.

KPFD is recovering from a bare-bones 2025. Last year’s failure of the district’s $800,000 M&O levy forced it into the tightest budget it has seen in more than a decade. Daily minimum staffing dropped from seven to five firefighters per shift, most equipment replacement was shelved, savings for future purchases were paused, and training programs for volunteer and career firefighters were scaled back or eliminated.

The 2026 budget reverses many of those cuts.

Spending on fire protective gear and other equipment increases by more than 50KP0% combined. Medical supplies increase by 21%, and the district adds back funding for wildland tools, facility maintenance, and vehicle support.

Training, one of the biggest casualties of 2025, also returns to normal budget levels. That includes $20,000 for the volunteer program.

While most increases reflect typical post-levy recovery, several line items stand out for their size.

Administrative wages increase by 23.7%, reflecting more than $150,000 in additional personnel costs. “Professional services” and legal support rise as well.

Commissioner compensation increases from $10,000 to $44,524 in the 2026 budget, more than quadrupling last year’s total. The amount covers all five commissioners. Most commissioners didn’t take their salary in 2025 to help save the district money, and the 2026 figure reflects a return to normal participation, along with a statewide adjustment issued by the Washington State Office of Financial Management in 2024. How much of that cap commissioners use depends on the number of meetings and approved functions they attend.

At the same time, several technology-related expenses drop to levels not seen in years. Mobile phone costs plunge more than 90%, and district-wide telephone and internet services are cut in half. IT service contracts decrease by $45,000.

The budget continues the district’s debt payments on previously purchased apparatus and the 2021 Key Center property acquisition. Capital line items remain stable, and KPFD looks to avoid transferring large amounts from reserves, a change from 2025 when more than $600,000 in internal transfers helped balance the budget.

In just three years, the district’s budget has grown from $9.7 million in 2023 to $13.7 million in 2026 – an increase of roughly 41%.