I can read the future

Believe it or not, I can tell the future.   I can’t go very far – – about two years out – – but I can tell the future.

Here’s the way it works.

In about two years, the Lacey Fire District will go before the voters and ask them to raise their property taxes to continue the current level of service.   Without a tax increase, the district will tell you, they’ll have to lay off fire fighters and close stations.

I guarantee it.

It’s not a difficult read.   Anyone who follows fire district actions and have any concept of past actions, can do the same prediction.

Recently, the Lacey Fire District, tempted by federal grants, decided to slurp from the federal money stream and use it to hire and train new fire fighters and to re-open Station 35 which has been closed because of financial problems.

On the face of it, this move seems sensible.  Why not take the federal money, hire the fire fighters and re-open the station?

The answer NOT to do so is simple.   Because in two years the federal funds will run out and the cost of these new fire fighters will have to be paid for by local taxpayers.

The district will ask for a levy lid lift.   By not approving the tax increase, the district will say, we’ll have to lay off fire fighters and close Station 35.

What a sneaky way to get voters to approve a tax increase.  Tell them that they may lose fire protection and they’ll reach for their wallets and gladly pay more money.

I thought the Lacey Fire District commissioners were better than that.

Shame on them.

I know voters have short memories, but hopefully I’ll be around in two years to remind them of the stunt their fire commissioners pulled.