Lacking fiscal responsibility

Residents, homeowners and taxpayers of Fire District 21/Arlington rural, are you aware of what your commissioners have done?

1. Ended the contract with the city of Arlington for providing emergency medical services and purchased a new ambulance, even though District 21 has no legal license to transport medical emergency patients!

2. Ended the contract with Arlington for fire protection and emergency services in the area of District 21 south of Arlington and the Stillaguamish River.

3. Sent four firefighters for training on hovercraft use and maintenance, when one could have gone and trained the others at a fourth of the cost!

Leadership, management, judgement and fiscal responsibility skills by District 21/Arlington rural commissioners and officers are inadequate!

The city of Arlington and Fire District 21/Arlington rural have worked together successfully for decades and provided very good EMS, transport and fire protection services for all of District 21/Arlington rural until December of 2013. This is when District 21/Arlington rural commissioners decided to change direction toward higher cost and less protections and service!

Until December 2013, District 21 operated very well within its income with no tax increases.

If Fire District 21 merges with Getchell 22 and Silvana 19, (which is in planning now), then District 21/Arlington rural taxes will double!

Marion Taylor, Don Tillman,

Lon Langdon, Ken Johnson,

Rick Isler, Terry Johnson,

Ed Taft and Norm Nunnally

Arlington

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, April 24

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Patricia Robles from Cazares Farms hands a bag to a patron at the Everett Farmers Market across from the Everett Station in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Editorial: EBT program a boon for kids’ nutrition this summer

SUN Bucks will make sure kids eat better when they’re not in school for a free or reduced-price meal.

Burke: Even delayed, approval of aid to Ukraine a relief

Facing a threat to his post, the House Speaker allows a vote that Democrats had sought for months.

Harrop: It’s too easy to scam kids, with devastating consequences

Creeps are using social media to blackmail teens. It’s easier to fall for than you might think.

Don’t penalize those without shelter

Of the approximately 650,000 people that meet Housing and Urban Development’s definition… Continue reading

Fossil fuels burdening us with climate change, plastic waste

I believe that we in the U.S. have little idea of what… Continue reading

toon
Editorial: A policy wonk’s fight for a climate we can live with

An Earth Day conversation with Paul Roberts on climate change, hope and commitment.

Snow dusts the treeline near Heather Lake Trailhead in the area of a disputed logging project on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, outside Verlot, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Move ahead with state forests’ carbon credit sales

A judge clears a state program to set aside forestland and sell carbon credits for climate efforts.

Comment: U.S. aid vital but won’t solve all of Ukraine’s worries

Russia can send more soldiers into battle than Ukraine, forcing hard choices for its leaders.

Comment: Jobs should be safe regardless of who’s providing labor

Our economy benefits from immigrants performing dangerous jobs. Society should respect that labor.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, April 23

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: We have bigger worries than TikTok alone

Our media illiteracy is a threat because we don’t understand how social media apps use their users.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.