I will be voting no

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Yet another emergency services tax levy to consider. My head hurts hearing how great our EMS is in saving lives. Damned near a “walks on water”, stand- alone service beyond reproach! Many voters seem to think of EMS (and for that matter Fire Response) as sacrosanct entities; not businesses, beyond careful scrutiny and worthy of taxpayer support no matter what the apparent or real cost.

I will be voting NO and hope you will do the same.

So much has been achieved. Fire 3 has consolidated with Town. Some of the more strident and poorly behaved folks on the Fire 3 side have been repeatedly, publicly chastened. The three-member Fire commission has been aerated and still has an ambulance load more certified EMS experience than the entire PHD board and administrative staff. Both services could use the trimming, restructuring, reduction of duplication and richer grant availability of a merger. Not to mention better mass casualty coordination with Orcas and Lopez. The highly functional Citizens Advisory Group and attendant Boards and Commissioners, seated together over a year in the harsh light of public scrutiny, agreed unanimously on a merger with secondary conditions.

The notion that these two essential services should inefficiently stand alone on our tiny island (contrary to over 90% of the municipalities in Washington) is mind-numbing. How could we again vote against our best interests in assuring quality service and fiscal responsibility? Voting NO will tame the PHD some and set up a necessary merger levy.

Steve Ulvi