THE FIREFIGHTERS IN LACEY FIRE DISTRICT 3, WASHINGTON, AREN’T HAPPY with the current members of the Lacey city council. With a council election coming up later this year, it looks like the only choices for the voters will be the incumbents who are mostly unopposed. Four of the seven seats will be open.
So the IAFF Local 2903 wrote a letter to the public saying that the union has been “actively searching” for interested residents to run, and mentioned its willingness to endorse candidates who are “fair, engaged, and open to communication with the public safety professionals that serve this community.”
A Firegeezer correspondent gives us some background:
Lacey Fire District #3, located in central western Washington State, serves a 70-sq. mile area just outside of Olympia WA, which includes the City of Lacey (under contract).
Two recent Levy funding measures have failed, resulting in LFD3 closing a fire station (their slowest house). As a result, the City of Lacey feels that LFD3 is in breach of contract and has started legal proceedings to reopen the house. The City of Lacey recently voted unanimously to terminate the contract (in effect for over 40 years) and form their own Fire Department by 2012.
The union added to the council’s misery by sending the letter to the local Democrat and Republican parties, asking for potential candidates to step forward. Two of the incumbents feigned outrage at the move because the city council seats are supposed to be non-partisan positions. The mayor even went so far as to say that the firefighters’ action was “completely uncalled for.” (Hopefully somebody will explain to hizzonor about the citizens’ rights of free speech and association…..Ed.).
The Local’s president says the union has been in contact with 16 people who have expressed an interest in running. He declined to identify them. He said the union would raise money for the candidates who do run.
The Olympian has the complete STORY HERE.
