I am a resident of Hailey and I feel the need to voice an opinion about the upcoming bond for a new fire station in the Woodside section of town.
I have a fondness for the Hailey Fire Department because my husband was a Hailey volunteer firefighter for 15 years starting in the early 1980s. I spent many hours at the Hailey Fire Station on Third Avenue South.
Now it's my time to serve the public—for the last eight years I have been the office manager for Wood River Fire and Rescue. I tell you this so you will know that I have a good understanding of the financial operations of a fire department and little or no understanding of actual fire fighting. I assist in all current budget administration, required financial audits, and the finances involved during the building of the WRFR/Bureau of Land Management guard station south of Bellevue.
My concerns with the bond for a new fire station in Woodside are:
I am concerned that constructing a building with living quarters will lead to the hiring of more full-time staff, thus increasing Hailey fire taxes. Wood River Fire and Rescue is the only south valley fire department that has a 24-hour first-response team. This is wholly possible due to the contract with the Blaine County Ambulance District to provide emergency medical response. This team is trained to respond to fires or emergency medical calls (at the paramedic level). The two budgets make it possible to have 24-hour coverage. Nothing else! I'm aware that the fire budget amounts to operate Hailey Fire and Wood River Fire are very similar.
I live in eastern Hailey in a modest 1,400-square-foot home. My property value has been under-assessed and now over-assessed. I understand that assessments are made by Blaine County, not the city, but I'm not the only taxpayer with this dilemma. We have been told that Hailey taxes will not go up if we vote in favor of the fire station because it will replace the library bond that expires in 2008. Wouldn't a little tax relief benefit those on a fixed income?
Finally, there is much to be said about the negotiations between Ketchum Fire Department, Ketchum Rural and Sun Valley Fire. If those three entities can work together towards bettering public service by combining budgets, why can't it happen in the south valley? There was no bond for the Wood River Fire Protection District taxpayers when the WRFR/BLM guard station was built. It took negotiations and a joint contract. That fire station is a huge benefit to the community and it happened without raising taxes through a bond.
I really would like the public to question whether this is the right time to vote for a bond to build this station. It has been in the plan to have a fire station in Woodside since the developers platted out the land during the 1970s. There is no doubt that location is correct. Funny, during all those years, you would think that our elected officials would have socked away more capital money to pay for it.
I can't tell you how many times a week people walk into to Wood River Fire and Rescue on Walnut Street in Hailey believing they are at the Hailey Fire Department. It is very confusing. How many fire departments does the Wood River Valley need?
Now is the time for the taxpayers to make a request from the elected officials: Join forces, get a contract, consolidate, do something to save the taxpayers the burden of a duplication of services.
______________________________________________________
Carol Thomas, a Hailey resident, is the office manager for Wood River Fire and Rescue.
