Excerpts from the Daily Herald:

A ballot question to determine how Warrenville Fire Protection District trustees get their seats could influence whether the agency participates in future attempts to consolidate fire services in DuPage County.

Voters served by the fire protection district will decide on April 7 if they want trustees on the board overseeing the district to be elected or appointed. Right now, the three members of the panel are appointed by the DuPage County Board Chairman.

“We as citizens have very little input as to who our district trustees would be,” said William Mennell, one of the residents who collected more than 1,600 signatures to get the binding question on the ballot. “The people should be able to pick who is spending their money.” Mennell is the president of the fire protection district board. Still, he stresses that residents — not trustees — are behind the ballot question.

In 2012, a consulting firm hired by the county suggested that DuPage partner with fire protection districts to investigate options for consolidation. Warrenville was one of the districts the firm examined before making its recommendation.

But the consultants found Warrenville to be a financially stable district. Mennell said the district already is providing quality fire protection and ambulance services and doesn’t need to be consolidated.

“Consolidating may help in some cases,” he said. “Our theory here in Warrenville is that bigger is not better.”

But [Board Chairman Dan] Cronin, who recently was lauded by Gov. Bruce Rauner for his consolidation efforts, said voters should ask what’s motivating the group pushing the Warrenville ballot question. According to Cronin, county officials have been trying “to bring transparency and accountability” to the fire protection district in recent years.

“It’s no secret they have really resisted that,” he said.

Cronin said the fire protection district board adopted DuPage’s ethics policy but refused to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the county that would have made the policy enforceable.

In addition, Cronin said county officials “on numerous occasions” suggested the district join the West Suburban Fire/Rescue Alliance, which has worked to reduce emergency response times and share resources.

“To date, the Warrenville Fire Protection District has expressed no interest whatsoever (in the alliance),” Cronin said. “They just want to have their own little empire.” “It doesn’t matter to me whether or not they (trustees) are appointed or elected,” he said, “just as long as the district is a model of efficiency and safety.”

But Mennell said the district already is working with other fire departments to share equipment and services.

… Kate Perkins — a former fire district trustee who is working to get the ballot question approved — said Warrenville “needs to have a voice” if and when a consolidation plan is proposed. “And we won’t if we have appointed trustees. They’ll answer to Dan Cronin, because he’s the one who hires and fires them.”

thanks Dan and John

Tags: Warrenville Fire Protection District, West Suburban Fire/Rescue Alliance