PAT JENKINS They weren't kidding. The leaders of Graham Fire and Rescue said leading up to the primary election in August, and have reiterated since then that the voters would decide the level of fire protection and emergency medical service that they want. In other words, if voters were okay with the trend of service being scaled back in accordance with diminishing funds to pay for it, they could turn down the district's request for a four-year levy that would buy more firefighters and paramedics. And turn it down the voters did, giving it a 58.5 percent approval, which in the wacky world of levy elections means little despite being a resounding-á"yes" from the masses.-áFor this levy to pass, nothing short of 60 percent will do. And so the voters have spoken. They'll speak again in the general election. Voting that will start in mid-October and end Nov. 4 will decide if the levy passes on the second go-round, or if voters meant it when they rejected the measure the first time. In comments they've posted in the online edition (dispatchnews.com) of The Dispatch, voters who oppose the levy aren't backing down, and vice versa. In the meantime, they're seeing that Graham Fire's administrators and commissioners are serious about voters holding the key to fire and medical services. Fire trucks and aid cars will still come when called, but maybe a little slower now that the district has closed or reduced staffing at three fire stations and scaled back the level of service for certain medical emergencies. Nobody wants that, but neither can the district maintain higher-level service without the money to pay for it. That's the bottom line that voters control.
Dispatch editor Pat Jenkins can be reached at editor@dispatchnews.com and 360-832-4697.
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