The Mountain View Fire and Rescue Proposition 1 is passing with 61.8% in favor, according to early primary election results posted Aug. 4.

Prop. 1 asks voters to approve a temporary Maintenance and Operations Levy (M&O Levy) of 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The cost of the M&O Levy would be $9.60 a month for the owner of a $384,000 home (an average for the area). The M&O Levy would expire in four years.

If approved, funding would be used to purchase protective gear for firefighters, replace a fire engine and water tender, and make repairs to fire stations to extend their usable lives.

Mountain View Fire and Rescue (formerly known as King County Fire District 44) provides wildland firefighting, fire suppression, life safety and basic life support to approximately 20,000 people over 77 square miles. Its service area includes unincorporated King County near the cities of Auburn, Enumclaw and Kent.

Daily operations at Mountain View Fire and Rescue are funded through a regular fire levy paid through property taxes. From time to time, the fire district asks voters for temporary funding through an M&O Levy. In 2013, voters approved an M&O Levy of 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to replace revenue lost during the last recession. That M&O Levy expired in 2017.