YAKIMA, Wash. – Voters in Yakima County are evaluating Proposition 1, a measure that aims to fund a new emergency radio system through a sales tax increase. The proposal involves a 0.2% sales tax hike, which translates to an additional 20 cents on a $100 purchase.
The initiative seeks to raise $35 million to establish a unified emergency radio system, enhancing communication for first responders across the valley. Lieutenant Ira Cavin from the Yakima Police Department emphasized the necessity of this upgrade.
“This is a critical need. This is something we need in our valley. The systems that we have right now are just not adequately serving the public the way they need to,” Cavin said.
The current system, according to Cavin, is outdated and lacks integration among its components.
“[The current radio channels] don’t integrate with each other. The reliability and redundancy of those systems varies depending on the age of them. Some of them are upwards of 40 to 50 years old at the infrastructure level. And so we’ve reached a point where many of these systems are at critical end of life phase,” Cavin stated.
If passed, the sales tax increase would begin in January 2026 and conclude in December 2032. Commissioner LaDon Linde of District 3, who typically hesitates to support tax increases, expressed his backing for this measure.
“I do feel that this [proposition] is an exception and something that I can support because it directly will assist law enforcement, fire department, ambulance personnel, the people that actually oftentimes are thrown into the middle of an emergency or crisis situation,” Linde said.
Cavin acknowledged the challenge of supporting tax increases but argued the benefits outweigh the costs.
“All tax increases are painful to a degree, but this is something that when you look at the benefit that it’s going to provide to the community and to the officers and firefighters and public safety professionals that are out there trying to utilize this system and serve the community as best we can,” Cavin added.
The seamless communication that the new system would provide is crucial, Cavin noted.
“Having everybody be on the same system where we can immediately communicate with each other and get that information means that we’re saving, even though it might be 30 seconds off of the delay from one dispatch center communicating to another dispatch center, then communicating it to the officers or firefighters in the field, that’s where you’re going to see that improved response time,” Cavin emphasized.
Ballots for the special election are due by April 22 at 8:00 p.m. Voters can submit them to a ballot box or at their local election center.
