Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District Director Position 2 Choose 1
Special districts in Oregon are formed to provide specific local government needs. They are created by a vote of the people in the local area being served. Examples include people’s utility districts, library districts, water districts, fire protection districts, and more. They are governed by a board of directors, which is responsible for management and financial accountability. Special districts are empowered to levy any necessary taxes and fees to fulfill their mandate. Board members are not paid but may receive a per diem reimbursement.The 267 fire protection districts in Oregon can have different structures and mandates, but all are responsible for funding and staffing fire prevention and safety services, and for managing the budgets of local fire stations.Qualifications: Candidate must be a registered voter or a landowner in the district. If the district has a supporting ordinance, employees of the district are not eligible. ORS 478.050Term: 4 years
Biographical Information
Contact Phone
5414511313
Campaign Phone (public)
5414511313
YouTube Video (leave blank if not applicable)
http://https://youtu.be/0s_JMqdIR_0
Town Where You Live
Lebanon
Your Experience/Qualifications
4 Years on Lebanon Fire District Board. Graduate of OFDDA Director's Academy. 15 years various board experience.
County
Linn
Term
4 years
Term Expires
2029
What skills and experience, including prior board experience, do you bring to the position?
Experience: Served on Lebanon Fire Board for 4 years and am graduate of OFDDA Director's Academy. Attend Director trainings every year. 15 years of board experience for WVRC, LDA, Hand in Hand Farm. Former Toastmaster, Current Optimist, started local high school Hall of Fame, Ford Family Leadership graduate, Lebanon Jr 1st Citizen
Skills: Detailed Analysis of contracts and risks, comfortable with budgets and costs. Skilled in bringing up alternate perspectives and breaking up groupthink. Capable collaborator who is able to build consensus by mediating opposed positions over shared values and goals. Strong communicator in both speech and writing.
What do you see as the top priorities for the District, and how would you achieve them?
Maintaining Response Readiness and keeping Response Times low while navigating increased costs and stagnated funding. Continuing to deliver above standard emergency response and outcomes with an overloaded crew. Managing equipment and apparatus needs as replacement costs skyrocket and repair/maintenance costs increase as well.
Key solutions will be found in our partnerships and our connection to the community. Paramount is bringing in Lebanon's citizens into the District's decision making processes, so that LFD can rebuild the community's trust in our fiscal stewardship and earn more tax revenue capacity when aging apparatus must be replaced.
We must also navigate the evolving and unsteady healthcare landscape, especially for transfers.
How do you understand the board’s role in relation to that of the fire chief?
The board has one employee, the Fire Chief, and it is our job to oversee his work and advise/correct/applaud as appropriate. Our board also is responsible for setting District policy that the Chief then implements. In policy matters, the board must balance relying on the Chief and staff's expertise with the board's own knowledge of the community. While the board's relationship with the Chief should be friendly and professional, we must also be ready to ask tough questions, push back on ideas, and hold the Chief accountable.