As we get closer to filling out our ballots for the February special election, here is a little insight into why it is practical to have a five person fire commission board for our fire district.

While serving three months filling in for a resigning commissioner, I was hard pressed to get the information and history from the other two commissioners because a meeting between two of us (constituting a quorum) to discuss district business ran the risk of violating the public meetings act under state law. It is incredibly difficult to study and discuss work that could be done as committee work when two of three members cannot meet.

We have had three commissioners since Fire District 43 was established with a population of about 8,000. We now have a population of 43,000 in the district. The Tahoma School Board represents about the same area as the fire district and it has a five member board; there are seven councilors for the city of Maple Valley with a population of about 22,000. It just seems appropriate that a five member fire commission would better serve and represent the district’s current population. There is much work ahead for the commissioners who will manage a $6-$8 million dollar budget, search for and hire a new fire chief, and effectively represent a growing population. As it is now, these major decisions can be made by just two commissioners; the taxpayers would be best represented by a five member commission.

After serving with the commissioners and getting to know the administration and firefighters better, I know they care very much about what happens in our community and the district. I believe a five member commission would better serve the needs of the administration, the fire fighters and the citizens, bringing transparency and a greater ability to work together.

Please vote YES!

Bill VanRuff

Maple Valley