Re: “Fire district merger: Communities need to support mergers” [April 18, Northwest Voices]:
As a longtime Kenmore neighbor and taxpayer, I value efficiencies and tax savings that allow government agencies to do their job better and for less money. Unfortunately, the proposed merger between Northshore and Woodinville Fire Districts, Proposition 1 on our ballot, does not do that.
That’s why Prop. 1 on the Tuesday Special Election ballot is opposed by the Lake Forest Park and Kenmore city councils, as well as the firefighters who serve Northshore, Woodinville, Bothell and Kenmore.
The men and women who serve our community have looked into Prop. 1 and found that the proposed cost savings are unsustainable, there are no increases to emergency services, and it merges two districts that don’t even share a border.
As if that weren’t enough to vote against it, this merger reduces the wages of our local firefighters — something I am not willing to do during a pandemic.
It’s time for the Fire District commissioners who are pushing this merger to go back to the drawing board, do their homework, and develop a solution that works for our communities and first responders.
Eric Adman, Kenmore, former Northshore Fire District commissioner