Editor’s note: Orcas Fire’s 2014 budget materials are available here. Per those documents, the fire chief’s salary is not increasing for 2014. The assistant chief salary was increased because the position changed from multiple “division chiefs” to one assistant chief. Administrative personnel benefits are increasing $21,500 for 2014. The department’s 10-year projection, which is not an approved budget, calculates 2 percent cost of living wage increases for all department staff. The Sounder looked at the 2013 receipts and the department spent a total of $70 on transportation via Sky Ferry to fly food to the island. The food cost for those meals was $500.

The Orcas Island Fire Department does a very good job of handling emergency services for this small community. According to San Juan County dispatch numbers for 2013, they respond to about two calls a day.

Voters are now asked to approve a new levy to replace the one that expires at the end of the year. Major capital expenses including three fire stations were paid off in 2012 with the current levy. The new levy amount should be significantly reduced, but unfortunately the size and cost of the non-volunteer staff has ballooned to over a million dollars a year. The Chief and Asst. Chief alone have combined wage and benefit packages of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The proposed levy will ensure annual increases of these salaries for the next ten years.

A recent eight month review of one of the department’s two credit cards paints a troubling picture of spending. For example, $570 spent on Chinese food flown to the island, $120 for chocolates, conference lodging booked at the luxury, waterfront Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham. A room booked at the Majestic Inn & Spa in Anacortes for simply ‘missing a ferry’. Numerous meals out for paid staff and visitors. The complete picture is unknown because some receipts for this public records request were not provided.

Public servants have no business spending taxpayer dollars like this. The lack of fiscal common sense, accountability and oversight at this agency is unacceptable. We have citizens on fixed and low incomes who will be forced to share the cost of this levy.

We all have a vested interest in emergency services but not at any price. Irresponsible spending and a bloated administration make it impossible to determine the genuine financial needs of the department. Clearly, the best course of action is to vote no on the levy, return the bookkeeping to the county for some much needed oversight, and insist the fire department get its house in order.

Suzanne Morrissey

Orcas Island