The Woodland City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday, April 7, opposing the Port of Woodland’s proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, joining a growing list of public agencies raising alarms over the potential financial fallout for emergency services.
Council members and Mayor Todd Dinehart stressed that while they support economic development, the TIF model could divert millions of dollars in future property tax revenue away from essential services such as Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR), which serves Woodland and surrounding areas.
“I thought it was important for the council and the city of Woodland to be together on this,” Dinehart said. “We have a good working relationship with the port. How we get to things sometimes is different, but at the end of the day, we have the best interest of the city of Woodland at heart.”
Tax increment financing, authorized by the state Legislature in 2021, allows local governments and ports to capture the increase in property tax revenue in a designated area for up to 25 years. However, this money would otherwise be distributed to other local taxing agencies, including fire districts, libraries and EMS services. School districts are unaffected by TIFs.
For CCFR, which covers 125 square miles and over 55,000 residents, the loss of revenue from overlapping TIF areas could total tens of millions of dollars. Local officials say this funding is urgently needed to keep up with growing emergency call volumes.
Dinehart explained that the resolution was not an attack on the port or its commissioners.
“This resolution here is not a slam toward the port,” he said. “This is just something that as a consolidated council that we are saying, ‘Hey, we oppose this form of financing.’”
Mayor Dinehart asked if any councilors or audience members wished to speak in favor of the proposed TIFs. Despite a packed audience, no one opted to speak in favor of the port’s proposed policy.
“As you can see, I believe all of us in this room are in agreement here tonight,” Dinehart said, following the silence.
Josh Brooks, representing Firefighters Local 3674, a union representing operators in CCFR, took to the podium, calling the TIF proposal a betrayal of voter-approved levies.
“The issue is the people approve that for a third party to come in and say that they can take that money to do something else … is very unfair to the citizens and it’s a slap in the face,” Brooks said.
He noted that since the passage of the EMS levy in Woodland, emergency responses have improved significantly. Fire crews now arrive with more personnel and equipment than in previous years, when firefighters sometimes responded to calls alone.
“We’re not anti-growth … But the promises that we made to the citizens are the things that we can actually deliver,” he said regarding the EMS levy.
Dinehart echoed concerns about what he heard at prior meetings with CCFR, noting that over 76% of emergency calls in Woodland currently fall within acceptable response times.
“That would go down, and so that’s really resonated with me,” Dinehart said.
“I speak for myself and I think the rest of the council, that I am adamantly against this. I cannot believe that sane people would take any funding approved by the public at large away from our (services),” Councilor Douglas Freimarck added.
Councilor Melissa Doughty said she supports growth but not at the expense of public safety.
“I don’t think taking it from our public safety — fire, rescue, police or any of those — is the right way,” Doughty said.
“I’m very much in support of growth, especially commercial growth, but I’m not in favor of this particular going at it,” Councilor Carol Rounds added.
The Port of Woodland is expected to vote on the proposed TIF on Thursday, April 17.
“Just because we say opposed does not mean it changes anything with the port,” Dinehart said. “But it at least puts it on record.”
