Conversations between the cities of Issaquah and Sammamish are painting a clearer picture of their shared predicament in the proposal to remake the area’s fire network.

City council members regularly praise Eastside Fire and Rescue, an interlocal agreement with fire districts and cities, for being the best deal for the dollar.

The fire districts in the rural areas have a much different perspective, mainly that their residents are paying twice the tax rate for the same services.

“There are two arguments about what’s equitable,” said Issaquah Council Member Mark Mullet.

Rural areas with low density need more fire stations per person, and their homes are worth less, which means while property owners pay a higher tax rate, they don’t necessarily pay more money, Mullet said.

About a year ago, the fire districts first pushed ESFR members to consider switching to a regional fire authority, which would mean the same tax rate for everyone plus extra fire fees for building sizes.

Preliminary reports suggest it could cost Sammamish up to $1.50 per assessed $1,000, up from $0.68.

It only took a glance at the preliminary numbers for Sammamish’s council to pass two resolutions against the proposed RFA.

Issaquah has taken a different approach.

At a recent joint dinner meeting between the two councils, Sammamish councilors pushed Issaquah to make a decision sooner.

But the older sister city gave a consistent response – they wanted to wait for final cost estimates in July.

“We’re not trying derail it,” said Sammamish Council Member Tom Odell of the RFA. “We just feel that Issaquah and Sammamish have a lot in common.”

The big unknown is if the two cities decide not to join the RFA, whether the fire districts still want to move forward with it.

If the RFA formed, it would do away with ESFR, and those who decided not to join would be forced to either be alone, or form their own fire network.

Issaquah’s Mullet understands why the Sammamish council urged Issaquah to make a decision sooner. “Nobody wants to go it alone,” Mullet said.

If Issaquah decides an RFA is too costly, a partnership with Sammamish would be inevitable.

“There is like eight different ways you can make up that pizza with different partnerships and different relationships,” Mullet said.

No matter the outcome, Sammamish doesn’t show any signs of wavering its stance.

“Sammamish could, for instance, turn around and contract with a future RFA,” Odell said.