The city of Milton has asked for entry into East Pierce Fire and Rescue’s service district, and now it’s up to voters to answer.

Ballots for the April 23 special election are expected to reach voters in the city of Milton and the present East Pierce Fire and Rescue service footprint on April 5.

If the annexation is approved by voters, East Pierce’s boundaries will adjust around Milton and the agency will be obligated to provide fire and emergency medical service to people in the city.

“In this case, the city of Milton Fire Department has already joined with East Pierce by operational agreement,” Fire Chief Jerry Thorson said in a recent press release. “If the annexation is approved, I expect this will be a smooth transition.”

Under the agreement passed January 2011, East Pierce already provides fire and medical response to Milton, with the response times and service being characterized as favorable by Thorson. Milton citizens also already pay the $2 per $1,000-property-value tax rate to East Pierce, with the Milton government as middle man; they would pay directly to the district if annexed.

Milton citizens would also pay the final year of the fire district’s Maintenance and Operations Levy. The tax burden would amount to 43 cents per $1,000-property-value, paid once in 2014, barring any extension approved by voters in the future.

The primary gain annexation would bring to citizens of Milton is voting rights on East Pierce tax rates and fire commission elections, which they do not have as operational partners.

The annexation vote will require a simple majority to pass; if either the voters of the city or the fire district vote down the measure, it will fail.