Letter to the Editor: Fire Commissioners Tasked to Shepherd Tax Dollars

Dear Editor,

There has been some confusion about the fire commissioner’s race. We have 2 positions that are open.  Position #3 is a 2-year term to complete Harvey Olson 5 year’s term that he resigned from last February.  Barbara Bedell and Pierrette Guimond are running for this position.  Position #2 that, Duff Andrews and Clyde Duke are running for, is the standard 5-year term.

We as a community are lucky to have such good people that are willing to run for a fairly thankless job. It truly is a public service.  All of these people have proven their dedication to our community through their considerable donations of time, energy and money.

This election is not about their character or personalities. It is about selecting individuals who will be good shepherds of our hard earned tax dollars.

We respect the hard working, dedicated volunteers and staff of our local fire department and we expect a level of service commensurate with a volunteer fire department.  We fully accept that as part of our rural life on Orcas Island and we do not expect municipal level  service living here.  However, currently we are paying for municipal level services.

As citizens we expect fiscal responsibility and restraint from our elected officials who are charged with spending our tax dollars. It has been disappointing that the commission has strayed so far from the recommendations of several citizen advisory committees with current expenditures.   We can not sit by quietly and watch the proposed expenditure of $1million to build a fire station in a hamlet of what 800 people?  Common sense and a respect for an economy of scale must be employed.

I urge you to vote for a change in this commission.  Please join me and vote for Duff Andrews and Pierrette Guimond.

Leith Templin