We are concerned citizens, who support the EMS levy, even though services on the south end of Camano Island will not improve with its passage.
We are one Island: Camano Island, not south or north end. No neighborhood is more important than the next, and any levy passed needs to be equally proportionate to provide equivalent services to all areas with its passage.
We do not, however, support the fire levy because of the following:
We do not feel that the fire department, headed by Chief Ganz, has been a good steward of the money appropriated to it by the citizens of Camano Island.
Paying $1.4 million for a building assessed for $1,338,172 to house seven administrative staff instead of on improvements for firefighters’ safety and comfort in these trying times is poor use of precious resources.
Two years after the 2007 bond was passed, ensuring that the Mabana Station received a much-needed 40,000 gallon water tank and new tender, we’ve been told by Chief Ganz that it’s still 200 days from delivery. The funds were voted on by the people … where has the money gone?
The fire levy is not scheduled to expire until the end of 2010. There is time to re-evaluate the truly essential needs for the whole island before approving a new fire levy.
The citizens of the south end are being treated like “remote residents” as we were referred to in the editorial written by Kelly Ruhoff on July 21 in the Stanwood/Camano newspaper. As taxpayers, we would like to receive the benefits from our “remote” tax dollars as well.
We urge you to vote “yes” on the EMS levy and “no” on the fire levy.
Tim and Carolyn Klein
and 23 other residents
Camano Island
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