At the Sept. 22 Edmonds City Council meeting, council candidate Lora Petso critiqued the proposed Fire District 1 initial contract. She charged that the overhead savings in the proposal are not realistic.
Adopting a contract with the district would have the Edmonds Fire Department technically absorbed into the district while maintaining its locations and identity. For this, the city would receive payments and reduce overhead. She charged that the projected savings the city would net would be lower than revenues the city could gain.
“The plan is to dump revenue from the lease or sale of the (fire) stations into the general fund,” Petso told the Enterprise. She says that would convert capital into short-term revenue. “As part of the deal, we would also lose the $700,000 per year transport fee.”
“If there is an issue with the city’s numbers, I need to be shown, quantitatively, what the issue is,” interim city finance director Lorenzo Hines Jr. told the Enterprise. “Then we can have a conversation. I like to respond analytically.”
“Her numbers may not be right, but her methodology may be,” Wambolt told the Enterprise. Petso and Adrienne Fraley-Monillas defeated Wambolt in the August primary. “We should review this apparent mismatch.”
“We need to find out why the numbers are apparently so different,” said Wilson. “Everyone is trying hard to get the numbers for council. (Hines) is a tremendous addition to staff. He is a step up and highly competent.”
Wambolt punctuated that the Fire District 1 contract is a “work in progress with no conclusion drawn. Citizens are witnessing the development. Some are asking questions like it is a final deal.”
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