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Posts Tagged Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District

Fox River & Countryside FPD wants tax increase (more)

Nov 30

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 5 Comments

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Another failed tax increase request would be the worst outcome from efforts to maintain the financial solvency of the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District. So to avoid that, district trustees may not ask voters for a tax increase at all. Trustees met with the district’s fire and ambulance service provider, Maryland-based Public Safety Systems Inc., to find a way to cut costs.

“Everybody would love to do the referendum, but it was 3-to-1 against it last time,” said district President Bob Handley. “We know the chance of success is slim. Like any organization, our biggest line item is personnel. So we’re going to look at staffing, but we’ve got to keep the safety of the guys in mind.”

A month ago, trustees introduced the idea of cutting ambulance service. But fire calls represent less than 20 percent of the district’s workload. That makes a change to staffing far more likely, said Ken Shepro, the fire district’s attorney. One option that may make sense is staffing engines and ambulances entirely with a part-time staff. Shepro said several other local departments, including Pingree Grove, use that model and more may be headed that way.

The viability of that model for the district, and its ability to at least defer a tax increase request will be key aspects trustees will weigh in the decision for if and when to hold a referendum. Aside from personnel, the district has some major capital replacement costs looming, including the replacement of a 30-year-old fire engine.

District trustees have until Dec. 28 to put a tax increase question on the March ballot. They will meet Dec. 14 to make a decision.

If trustees don’t put a question on the ballot in March, Shepro said, it’s unlikely voters would see a tax increase question until 2017 at the earliest. Conventional wisdom says most taxing districts should avoid tax increase questions when presidential races are on the ballot. Those elections tend to have higher voter turnouts with more people voting no on tax increases regardless of how much they know about the ballot question.

thanks Dennis

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Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District news

Nov 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the KaneCountyChronicle.com:

A month ago, the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District Board accepted Jim Gaffney’s resignation as president. Monday, the trustees reacted to yet another resignation from Gaffney – this time from the board.

Bob Handley, who was named president at the Oct. 26 meeting, told his colleagues that he received Gaffney’s resignation letter that day, although it was dated earlier. The resignation was effective immediately. The trustees – who met in a room named after Gaffney at Station No. 3 in St. Charles Township – formally declared a vacancy on the board. Gaffney was absent.

He was serving a six-year term to expire in 2019. The district’s attorney, Ken Shepro, said the board could appoint someone to the position, and that person would serve until the 2017 election.

Gaffney served as the face of the district as it ended its relationship with the city of St. Charles in 2011 and opened two fire stations despite residents’ protests. His departure marks the second notable resignation at the district. Greg Benson – who served as the district’s chief since 2011 – retired recently. Carl DeLeo now serves as fire chief of operations.

When Fox River and Countryside dedicated Station No. 3 last fall, fellow trustees said the training/community room was named Gaffney Hall in recognition of his leadership and vision.

 

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Fox River & Countryside FPD wants tax increase (more)

Oct 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

The difference between the tax increase Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District trustees can put in place on their own, and the tax increase only voters can give them, boils down to survival. Trustees tentatively locked in one increase Monday night. The big request may come as soon as next month.

Trustees got their first look at the new tax levy plan Monday. That levy goes after the maximum tax increase allowed under tax cap law. It comes down to a 1.67 percent increase over the current levy. It will raise the property tax bill of a $300,000 home in the district by about $4, assuming no change in the value of that home next year. The increase would net about $40,000 in new income for the district, though that may not be enough for the district to survive.

The levy will earn a total of about $2.52 million, which represents 94 percent of the district’s income. The budgeted expenditures for the current year are about $3.5 million. Coming into the year, the district had a reserve fund of only $48,000. Trustees sold off a parcel of rental property for a one-time boost of the reserve fund. It now stands at about $1.7 million. With aging equipment, that piggy bank won’t stay full for long.

As a result, new district President Bob Handley urged fellow trustees to decide in November if the district will ask voters for a tax increase. It’s most recent request, which came just this past April, failed by a 3-to-1 margin. Trustees have not yet decided how much money to ask for or what format the tax increase would take. The April question would have phased-in a tax increase over five years. The vote next month seems to be a mere formality.

Trustees have already begun very early discussions about what to do if another tax increase request fails. There are only two options on the table.

Handley broke it down into a succinct scenario: “Do we dissolve, or do we hobble along and just provide fire service?”

In the first scenario, the district would cease to exist. Fire and ambulance service would then, most likely, be provided by a neighboring fire district or department, all of which have higher tax rates than the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District. In the second scenario, the district would still exist. It would only offer fire service and advanced life support via the fire engine crew. However, it would not be able to transport any patients to the hospital. That service would have to come from outside the district.

Trustees will discuss the details of how that setup could work, vote on whether to ask voters for a tax increase and lock in the tax levy increase for next year at their next meeting on Nov. 23.

thanks Dan

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Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District news

Oct 25

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 2 Comments

Excerpts from TheDailyHerald.com:

As the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District marches toward another try at a tax increase, James Gaffney has resigned as president of the district’s board of trustees.

Gaffney confirmed Friday he resigned as president of the fire district earlier this week. He is also a member of the St. Charles Unit District 303 school board, a role that’s eating up more and more of his time. Gaffney will remain on the board but play a lesser role in several big decisions the district will make in the next few months.

Fire district officials are picking through the remains of a failed tax hike request by referendum in April. The move would have increased the taxes paid to the fire district by the owner of a $100,000 home by $48 a year. But that increase would have been phased in over five years. Voters rejected the request by about a 3-to-1 margin.

As trustees prepare to take a second shot at a tax increase, the atmosphere surrounding the question is looking more dire. The finances for the district appear to be reaching a crisis stage. District trustees are set to discuss the possible future discontinuation of ambulance and emergency medical services.

Trustees will elect a new president and discuss the referendum and ambulance service at a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at fire state No. 3, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, near St. Charles.

thanks Dan

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Fox River & Countryside FPD to appoint operations chief

Aug 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the KaneCountyChronicle.com:

The Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District Board is expected to appoint a chief of operations at a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Board President Jim Gaffney said the individual does not replace Chief Greg Benson, who has assumed that role since 2011. Rather, he said, this person will concentrate on the district’s two stations and the operations at those stations. The district is trying to “isolate the two positions to get certain things accomplished,” Gaffney said.

Gaffney declined to name the individual Monday but said he will be introduced at Tuesday’s meeting, which is set for 6:30 p.m. at Station 3, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles Township. The agenda includes the chief of operations’ appointment, introduction and contract approval.

The chief of operations will start Wednesday, Gaffney said.

In addition to the station in St. Charles Township, Fox River and Countryside has a station along Route 64 in Campton Hills. The district serves about 25,000 residents across 38 square miles that include Wayne, Campton Hills and St. Charles Township.

thanks Dan
Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

Greg Benson – who has served as the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District’s chief since its 2011 launch – will retire by the end of October, the district announced Wednesday in a news release. The district previously was considered a paper district that  contracted services from the city of St. Charles.

The district has appointed Carl DeLeo as chief of operations.  He will oversee anything having to do with safety, including the stations and the firefighters Board President Jim Gaffney said and that the district chose the title in the event it someday wants to hire someone strictly for the administrative aspects.

DeLeo is a 30-year veteran of the Lisle/Woodridge Fire Protection District, where he retired with the rank of captain.

 

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Fox River & Countryside FPD wants tax increase (more)

Aug 26

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 4 Comments

Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

The Geneva-based law firm Griffin William LLP is preparing revamped language for the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District’s tax levy increase request. It possibly could be used on the March 15 primary ballot, said Jim Gaffney, the district’s board president.

Board members at their next meeting Monday plan to review and discuss the language legal counsel have prepared if it is ready by that time.  The public meeting will begin no earlier than 7 p.m. Monday in the district’s Station 3, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles, or immediately after the conclusion of a 6:30 p.m. special meeting if it runs long.

The district wants to propose that its current tax rate increase over time from about 28 cents – 28 cents per $100 of assessed valuation – to 51 cents, Gaffney said.  The increase still would leave the fire district with one of the lower rates in the area.

Voters defeated the district’s previous rate hike request by a 3-1 margin in April, according to election records. The district has not replaced three full-time firefighter/paramedics who left to work elsewhere, leaving a total of 21 firefighters. Gaffney said the district also has had to move up a reserve fire engine to active status because it is deferring equipment replacement.

An approved referendum would allow the district to buy more equipment and pay its firefighters higher wages since they are paid less relative to other area districts, Gaffney said.

“If we don’t get the referendum passed in March, there’s going to be more cutbacks to the fire department,” Gaffney said.

The district serves 25,000 residents across 38 square miles that include Wayne, Campton Hills and St. Charles Township.

The full series of posts on this topic can be found HERE

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Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District … tough decisions (more)

Jul 12

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 6 Comments

Excerpts from the KaneCountyChronicle.com:

Officials of the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District on Thursday met with residents to talk about what the district’s next moves should be in light of a failed referendum … voters defeated the district’s rate hike request by a 3-1 margin in April, election records show.

Some of the roughly 10 residents who attended the Thursday meeting think the district needs to put another referendum question before the voters, but suggested officials change their approach from the previous effort.

“There seemed to be more emphasis on finance, equipment and budget … and not enough focus on the hardship of firefighters who work in the district,” district resident Dave Stohler said. “You have to present it in a more human fashion.”

Some of the district’s firefighter/paramedics left for better paying jobs and have not been replaced, said Bob Handley, the district’s board treasurer.

In an effort to promote the district and another possible referendum, some residents are considering the formation of a Friends of the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District group.

For information about the district, residents can call the district office at 630-584-3473 or email admin@frcfr.org.

thanks Dan

Previous posts on this topic are HERE, HERE, and HERE.

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Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District … tough decisions (more)

Jun 25

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

The Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District board approved a tentative budget of $2.7 million Monday for the 2016 fiscal year that reflects the district’s reduced financial situation.

Board president James Gaffney said officials had planned for an operating budget of $3.2 million to $3.3 million if an April referendum had passed. But the district’s request in April was voted down.

The reduction in spending reflects having 21 firefighter/paramedics instead of 24, officials said.

The spending plan will be published and on display for 30 days before the board takes a final vote to approve it at its next meeting on July 27 at Fire Station Three, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles.

Fire district attorney Ken Shepro said the proposed budget will be available on the district’s website as well, www.frcfr.org.

Gaffney said the district would pursue another request to go on the March 15 primary ballot.

Gaffney said the district wants to establish a Citizens Advisory Committee to help support and guide the new referendum effort. Those interested in serving on the committee should call the district office at 630-584-3473 and provide phone and email contact information, he said.

The district serves residents in Wayne, Campton Hills and St. Charles Township.

A previous post is HERE

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Fox River & Countryside Fire Rescue District … tough decisions

Jun 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 5 Comments

Excerpts from the Kane County Chronicle:

Officials at the the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District are bracing for critical budget issues caused by the failure of its April referendum, they said.

Board President Jim Gaffney said the district would ask voters for an increase again, this time on the March 15 primary ballot in 2016. Voters defeated the rate hike request by a 3-1 margin in April, records show.

“If it doesn’t pass next March, then we will not meet payroll at all by 2017-18,” Gaffney said.

The board will consider a tentative 2015-16 budget that reflects reduced spending and deferring equipment replacment at its next meeting, 7 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Fire Station Three, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles.

Gaffney said the district could be dissolved, but it would have to be by voter initiative.

“Then the state fire marshal comes in and breaks us up, and re-appropriates us into different districts (Elburn, South Elgin, Bartlett and West Chicago),” Gaffney said.

The Fox River district, which formed four years ago, covers parts of St. Charles, Campton, and Wayne townships in Kane and DuPage counties, and sections of Wayne and Campton Hills.

The unaudited 2015 year-end totals show the fire district had $47,877, while the original 2016 budget projections, without cuts, would put the district nearly $500,000 in deficit.

The district cannot replace staff when they leave for better-paying jobs, and has to defer replacement of fire trucks and ambulances, Gaffney said.

A captain, a lieutenant and three firefighter/paramedics left for better paying jobs, Gaffney said. None will be replaced, saving the district $240,000, Gaffney said. But that is not enough to cover the replacement cost of fire trucks at $450,000 and ambulances at $250,000 each, he said.

The fire district’s attorney, Ken Shepro, said equipment replacement is critical.

Starting Wednesday, the district will operate with its remaining 21 personnel, re-arranged in shifts so all stations are covered, with no layoffs.

thanks Dan

Related posts are HERE and HERE.

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Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District loses bid for tax increase

Apr 8

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

Voters in the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District provided little doubt Tuesday about whether they wanted to pay higher taxes for emergency services.

Unofficial results in Kane and DuPage counties on Tuesday showed 854 voters supported the proposed tax rate increase whereas 2,240 did not.

The question asked voters whether the extension limitation for the district should “be increased from the lesser of 5 percent or the percentage increase in the consumer-price index over the prior levy year to 12.5 percent for each of the levy years of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.”

Officials with the fire district officials have said the extra funds would be used to increase the wages paid to personnel, among other investments, such as equipment.

The district covers about 38 square miles and serves residents in Campton Hills, Wayne and St. Charles townships.

Previous post is HERE

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