Bothell voters will decide whether to join regional fire authority in November

Bothell voters will decide on November 3, 2026, whether the city’s standalone fire department should join the Shoreline Fire Department Regional Fire Authority.

The Bothell City Council unanimously approved a resolution on July 21, 2026, placing Proposition No. 1 on the general-election ballot. The City posted the decision on July 22.

What voters will decide

A yes vote would annex the Bothell Fire Department into the Shoreline Fire Department Regional Fire Authority, shifting fire-service governance and administration from the City of Bothell to the regional organization. A no vote would leave Bothell’s existing standalone structure in place unless officials take another action.

The measure itself does not approve annexation. The decision will be made by Bothell voters on November 3.

What the City says would remain

The City says Bothell fire stations would remain open and staffed if annexation proceeds. Emergency calls would continue to be handled by the closest available units under the regional system, according to City and RFA planning materials.

The City also says firefighters would not lose their jobs as part of regionalization. Most personnel would transition into equivalent regional positions with equivalent pay and benefits, according to the City’s fire-service study.

Those are proposed service and workforce arrangements, not a completed change in department operations. The primary planned change would be organizational: Bothell’s fire department would become part of a larger regional agency.

Governance and firefighter representation

Under the proposed structure, three Bothell City Councilmembers would serve on the Shoreline Regional Fire Authority’s governing board. The council appointed Wei Wang, Brandon Keith and Mason Thompson to the committee supporting Proposition No. 1.

The City said in its July 22 update that there were no applicants for the committee opposing the measure. That does not establish whether broader public opposition exists.

Tax impact remains unresolved

The precise effect on Bothell taxpayers has not been finalized. The City says the financial result will depend on future RFA levy decisions, how existing city levy authority is treated and other funding choices.

A May 18 joint-meeting packet described preliminary financial considerations involving existing levy and bond obligations, possible operational-reserve and capital contributions, and future facility needs. Those materials described planning scenarios rather than a final tax bill or enacted future commitment.

The packet said existing Bothell-approved fire funding obligations would continue for their approved terms. It identified a public-safety levy supporting 10 firefighter positions through the approved period and an existing fire-capital bond obligation continuing until it is fully retired, with the bond described as extending through 2040.

What happens next

The annexation question will appear on the November 3, 2026, general-election ballot. Bothell has said it will provide additional information about Proposition No. 1, the annexation process and the proposed regional structure as it becomes available.

Sources

• Fire Service Study — City of Bothell