Vote no on 4A

GO UNION wrote: YESSIR that's the one if it has the fema grant on it. read it, pretty sure it says you can't spend a dime of district money for campaigns if you take a penny of fed money.. ohh well rules and laws are only used if they benefit oneself anymore, i'm sure some more lawyer fees and it will be covered up.

Where do you see that district money was spent? The membership spent money on the campaign, not the district. The membership and the district are two separate entities, file taxes separately etc. The entity of the membership does not receive government money.

Ask the elk creek lawyer! He can explain the law in a manner that you should be able to understand. That's their job, not mine.

Hundreds of thousands have been spent on independent investigations at elk creek and they always end up saying the same thing that the members and employees should be counseled on workplace behavior, sexual harassment, discrimination, tax laws, and being nice ! And the required behavior/actions by leadership when it's reported.

GO UNION wrote: READ THE HATCH ACT! ask your chief for a copy of the federal grant application he signed!
or have the district lawyer explain it..

The Hatch Act is a federal law that applies to federal situations. It does not apply to states or local... You need some more hysterical material that applies to local situations. You're just thrashing about now.

LJ, you're right, when fire depts take money from the feds the fed rules apply to them as well.

I've said this in public many times , i'm not responsible for your feelings, sorry

The ECFP 2012 audit shows $1,347,302 for administration , $574,881 for fire fighting and $113,032 for EMS. Why is there no breakdown of administration? May the public have a breakdown of administration expenses to the lowest account level?

Budgets through 2012 were prepared by previous administrations. Starting in 2013, the budget was prepared by Chief McLaughlin. The “administration” category previously lumped together all of the salaries and benefits for all personnel, including the fire marshal, paramedics and the mechanic. Starting in 2013, the budget has been revamped to show more clearly exactly what various programs cost. The 2013 budget also shows the audited numbers for 2011 and 2012 in a format that explains spending better.

Are all financial records available to the public? If not, what records are not available?

Financial records are available to the public. The only exceptions are those records that would be otherwise protected by state statute.

Do you realize that additional taxes paid by businesses will be passed on to the customers and/or incentivize the businesses to leave the area?

If passed, we will still have the lowest mill levy rate compared to any area in the entire metro Denver area. If a business chooses to leave, it would not be to find lower taxes.

Another issue that is certainly related is fire insurance rates. If insurance rates increase, businesses would be able to find lower rates elsewhere.

If there's fiscal transparency why does'nt the chief offer a financial report at meetings for clear and easy proof of where the money goes?

What is the fuel costs in 2012 compared to the previous years?

how much does workers comp cost compared to.....

How many firefighters have been injured in the last few years? what are those costs?

how many insurance claims have been submitted for vehicle damage...

How many damaged fire trucks have been paid for by the dept instead of reporting the claim, what are those costs to the tax payer ?

Is there any current investigations or legal suits criminal or civil against ecfd that may pose a financial burden to the tax payer?

From this months Elk Creek Fire Protection Newsletter:

I’m a volunteer firefighter with the Elk Creek Fire Department. On June 19, 2013, I was called to the Lime Gulch Fire, which was only a few miles from my home.

I returned home that evening and assured my family that everything would be fine. I told them not to worry, then I spent a sleepless night, laying in my bed worrying about what the next day might bring.

I was up before dawn, getting ready to go back out on the fire. We had our pet carriers and a few boxes of our most valued possessions stacked by the door, in case we had to leave in a hurry.
I was still trying to appear confident and unafraid for the sake of my family, but as I walked through our quite home in the early morning shadows, I thought about what it would be like if every thing were to be lost this day. I was confident my family would evacuate if the fire jumped the river, but the thought of losing everything I’d accumulated in a lifetime, gave me a cold, sick feeling in my gut.
I worked the fire that day, and by the time I got home, late that night, I was truly confident the fire did not pose a threat to us.

Now I’m listening to the debate about a property tax increase for the Elk Creek Fire Protection District. If we agree to allow our taxes to be increased by a small amount, Elk Creek Fire can continue to give us all the same level of service we currently have.

It seems to me this is the wrong discussion. Instead of debating whether we’re going to pay $6 or $7 more in taxes per month so we can have the same number of firefighters, apparatus and stations, I think we should be talking about getting more protection, much more! I wish there were a fire station closer to my home. I’d like to see more fire engines and more people to man them.

I think about fires like Waldo Canyon, Black Forest and the Lower North Fork, and I know that our whole community could go up in smoke. I live in the forest, and I love it, but I understand that there are risks associated with this, and I for one would happily pay twice as much if I knew my home would be protected.

The CUT mailer made it so easy to learn how to vote this fall. Thanks CUT and a special thanks to Mr Bartlett for all the easy to find information.