Letter to Editor | Kate or Toni for Fire Commissioner

||| FROM SADIE BAILEY |||

Frankly, I’d be thrilled if these two candidates won the primary. I wish I could vote for both of them, or that they were running for different seats. Listening to them at the forum and speaking with both after the forum makes the decision on who to choose even more difficult, since they have much in common, but also a few distinct differences.

I suggest talking with each of them to learn of their differences. They are both approachable, and so many questions submitted at the forum were not chosen to be asked, let alone answered; including the concern that this is not the only essential service that depends on tax levies, and asking for a permanent 82% increase is asking a LOT that could impact other entities who also need funding in this way – was that considered?

Here, I will focus on their commonalities.

Both candidates understand that the department needs funding and a levy – but we still don’t have specifics on how the misspending happened and who made those decisions, so it’s hard to know where to tighten it up, and what other ways to fund the dept. might be available.

Both candidates come with credentials, strengths, and experience that would be assets to the Department. Both have financial savvy and experience in handling budgets. Both understand that we need a more tailored levy that protects capital funds from being used for operations. How refreshing.

Both say that above all, they will listen to all stakeholders, be transparent, work to collaborate with all stakeholders, and move the Department forward in a more positive and respectful way. Both want to heal the divide that didn’t need to happen and should never happen again.

I can’t imagine either of them shaming us or scolding us for daring to ask questions or having differing viewpoints – or acting as though they know what’s best for us all without including us or hearing our ideas and concerns. We’re all better together. In the case of OIFR, it needs to be a many-ways dialogue. All must be represented and respected. That has not happened and it needs to, going forward.

Both Toni and Kate know how fortunate we are to keep attracting the best firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. We are blessed in this way. But it’s hard to forget all the casualties along the way to here, and we should never forget! We should learn from these dreadful missteps so that they never happen again. Now we have the chance to move forward in a good way – a more balanced, transparent, and fair way for all.

Now you see my dilemma. Please vote for Toni or Kate in the upcoming primary. We need this change.

ADDENDUM:
These are some of my opinions and concerns and what made me decide on how I would vote on the proposed levy and a fire commissioner in this 3-way race. (ie not “gospel” but observed and weighed)

Toni has been in the thick of this issue and has been trying to effect transparency and fairness and root out the mismanagement by past and present boards of mostly appointees, and help straighten out the financial mess and utter disrespect by the board to the Public, Staff, and volunteers that caused the mass exodus of valued staff and volunteers. She was well respected in her time as building inspector. She has guts, is not afraid to take the heat or speak inconvenient truths, will work hard for us and for the Department.

Kate wants to make educated decisions. Having not seen the details of finances or what Toni and others who’ve been in this longer and more in-depth have seen, she doesn’t say much about the budget discrepancies, but she is aware of them and is listening to questions we raise to her. She has worked as an administrator for a King County fire department and has seen all facets of the inner workings of that department. I know that
she will work hard and will dig into the finances to find out fact from hearsay and how to make improvements in finances and morale.
*****
This proposed levy is not going to solve the financial problems that OIFR has; it will only create more. There are too many flaws and too many questions. The Public was not included and the finances don’t add up– as we have learned at the Forum, thanks to Toni’s courage in calling this out and giving specifics. (as did Patrick Shepler’s letter and many other opinion pieces and comments). Also the lack of respect for timely handling of FOIA requests… OMG! And why so much of them redacted? That warrants some investigation too.

For me, it was shocking and dismaying to learn that Capital funds were spent on operations! They were also spent on things not needed or state mandated, and the department didn’t move to meet state timeline mandates for replacing fire engines – compromising safety for volunteers and paid staff, as well as having unreliable equipment! During this dry and very windy fire season, that should concern us all, for their safety and ours.

Someone outside of the election told me that new staff have come in at higher salaries than career staff who got forced out, and that they are presently collective bargaining – most likely for even higher pay and more benefits – not that they are undeserved – but since one of the main issues is financial mismanagement by their superiors – and a big reason given for this levy’s permanent 82% increase over the present one is supposedly a
revenue shortfall where staff can’t be paid for the last 3 months of this year, this needs to be investigated. Inflation, yes… but things are not adding up. Can we please see this on paper in print, about the salary increases and any other benefits increases and how much those cost – and from which fund they were paid – operations or capital?

We need access to all the breakdown of financials, not some generalized chart that reveals nothing. Let’s have them.