What needs to be understood about Tuesday’s election to fill three seats on the Durango Fire Protection board of directors is that the purpose is to pick the three people who can best help move the district forward. It is not an opportunity to rehash the past, dredge up old grievances or refight old battles.
With that in mind, The Durango Herald urges qualified voters to choose Wayne Barger, Kathy Morris and Patti Zink. All three have the experience, the temperament, the knowledge and the desire to help guide the district forward. With that, DFPD can better fulfill its mission to protect the people and property of the district and the city of Durango by taking advantage of the cooperation and economies of scale envisioned in its creation.
Wayne Barger served on the board of the old Animas fire district. He has lived in La Plata County and worked at Fort Lewis College for 19 years. He and his wife own a successful business in Durango. His commitment is to doing what is best for emergency personnel, that they may best serve the community.
Kathy Morris is a current member of the DFPD board. A 35-year resident of the county, she works as the Coordinator of Safe Schools for the San Juan Board of Cooperative Services. She served on two of the boards preceding DFPD and was part of the transition.
Patti Zink has also been a small-business owner and has lived in La Plata County for 27 years. Her commitment to medics, firefighters and law-enforcement personnel has been demonstrated through her membership and work with the One Hundred Club. That organization is dedicated to being the first to help the families of emergency responders injured or killed.
All three are thoughtful, caring members of the community. And all three should be elected.
At the same time, the other candidates deserve thanks. Kitty Benzar, Tony Whittle, Bill Meiers (withdrawn, but on the ballot), Bud Deering and Carrie Cline have played a key role in the process and raised good questions.
For example, in its contract with the district, the city of Durango included performance objectives that spelled out what the city is paying for. Why not have similar standards for the district itself? And while the desire to save money is laudable, the way this election was conducted put the responsibility to get involved almost entirely on would-be voters. Did the district really do all it could to encourage public participation? Those are legitimate points and deserve consideration.
Only those who are registered Colorado voters and either residents of the district or own property in the district may vote in this election. City of Durango residents who do not own property in the district are not eligible.
To vote Tuesday, go to Bodo Fire Station, at 142 Sheppard Drive or to the Trimble Lane Fire Station at 31263 Highway 550 North.
That the city is not part of DFPD reflects the history of the district. The basic plan, which dates to 1998, was to pool resources by joining the Animas and Hermosa districts under one authority together with what had been Mercy’s ambulance service and the Durango Fire Department. It made sense – and still does.
But it took multiple votes over years. In the end, the Animas and Hermosa districts merged into DFPD while the city contracts with the new district for services.
It sounds convoluted, and it took a lot of effort. But it works and should continue to if the voters pick the most qualified board members. Vote for Wayne Barger, Kathy Morris and Patti Zink.
