Through the yeoman efforts of our friend Phil Richardson, MVFD recently completed the annexation of our OV neighbors in the southern tier, north to Hardy road.
Phil attended the MVFD Board meeting on Dec 14.
What he found leads one to ask: "What's going on with Mountain Vista Fire District?"
Learning that some heavy spending was contemplated at the one year old Mountain Vista Fire District which will affect property owners, 2400 of whom live in Oro Valley, Phil writes the following:
Suddenly rich in a time of wanting
If your eyes are beginning to glaze over from trying to watch what masquerades as humor on TV, you can have a pulse pounding experience most any month by attending the meeting of any nearby Fire District Board and watch your money stimulate the economy at a breath-taking rate. There are 17 Fire Districts in Pima County, collecting from as much as a million, two hundred thousand dollars from tax-paying constituents in one Fire District alone – and as far as I know, only one of them, Northwest Fire District, has a volunteer monitor by the name of Mary Schuh keeping an eye on their spending. Mrs. Schuh is the taxpayer’s friend.
Since I was recently involved in supporting an annexation of my neighborhood this year into the newly-minted Mountain View Fire District, I attended a meeting of their Board on December 14. I was the only member of the public present. I went away with sugar plums dancing in my head. These folk are intent on bolstering the economy, come what may. They’ve evidently never heard that we were in a severe recession or that the City of Tucson is groaning over the prospect of laying-off 100 fire-fighters and 100 police.
It seems that Mountain Vista feels the urgent need for two, maybe three fire stations, plus an administration suite for the fledgling outfit. They plan to quit the station leased by Rural Metro Corporation on Magee Road near North Oracle for more comfortable digs nearby in a year or so, despite the fact that the lease on the old fire house runs through 2013 and there is opportunity for two 5-year extensions there.
This new fire-fighting edifice will be the second fire station for MountainVista. They plan to break ground for a new one near Shannon and Overton come next month.
The real stunner was the speculation on the purchase of not one, but two fire engines for $870,00 even though it will be up to two years before finding both a home.
Nevertheless, the Chairperson and Directors of Mountain Vista FD are poised to dip into their rainy day fund.
Of all quasi-governmental bodies, Fire Districts like to fly under the radar screen more than any other. The Administrator of this one was so successful, that two of the five Directors knew nothing of the proposed fire engine purchase.
Either they slow down or else they too will soon come begging for a bail-out.
