Letter to the editor: Steve Ulvi

Jan. 27, 2022

Yet another emergency services tax levy to consider. My head hurts hearing the mantra about how incredible our EMS is in helping people in a time of need. Isn’t that what they are paid to do? We all know many neighbors, good people, paid well, who work earnestly in both Fire and EMS. But it seems that many voters think of EMS (and for that matter Fire Response) as sacrosanct entities. Not businesses. Beyond careful scrutiny. Worthy of unquestioning taxpayer tithing, no matter what the real cost.

I am not an anti-taxer. Tending toward socialism, I would pay more if the taxes clearly result in measurably better organizational efficiency and effectiveness for the community good. I will be voting NO for the continuance of overlapping Fire and EMS taxes, each organization at loggerheads, using “selected stats more for support than illumination”, dividing the community while enjoying the upper end of allowed tax rates.

So much has been achieved. Town consolidated with Fire 3. 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 its administrative staff. Both services could use a bit of staff house cleaning, restructuring, reduction of duplication and the richer grant availability of a merger. Not to mention better mass casualty coordination with the combined services of both 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 conditions. The argument from the Fire side that they couldn’t expand the Commission from 3 to 5 (they certainly should) due to the insidious probability that business would happen outside of official meetings, was one of the most cynical admissions I have ever heard from elected officials.

Sweeping under the carpet the serious abuse of the Sheriff vessel while it was employed in Fire training is deplorable. The response of Fire to the documented damages was sophistry. The PHD has misinterpreted the narrowly failed November merger levy for free reign. But these are fuzzy thinking episodes best corrected by remembering who they all work for. They are not weighty reasons to vote yes and maintain parallel services here!

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? I feel that the public discourse has been helpful overall, not divisive except for a few overheated comments. The public barking by Butler and Collins has been very unhelpful and unnecessarily divisive. Voting no will set up a necessary merger levy sooner rather than later.

Steve Ulvi