Monarch Fire Board Member Wants to Set Record Straight

Dear Neighbor:

As a Monarch Fire Protection District director, I have conducted my duties and responsibilities in an ethical, reasonable and responsible manner. Every decision of the majority of the board since I was elected two years ago has been made with the best interests of how they will affect the taxpayers, residents, business owners, and the men and women who serve this fire district.

I would like to set the record straight regarding some of the things you may have read or heard.

First, Jane Cunningham falsely claims that she “led the effort that convinced the board to rescind the recent record setting $1 million tax increase on homeowners.” It is unfortunate she is trying to make headlines and take credit for the board’s work. This is exactly the type of politics that have plagued the Monarch Fire Board in the past.

The facts are as follows:

In 2011, as the Board was in the process of setting the district’s tax rates, we received information that the district’s revenues would be approximately $900,000 less due to lower property assessments. At that time, the board agreed the only way to provide the same level of service while balancing the budget was to increase the tax levy. However, in the days leading up to the Oct. 4 meeting, where we would re-vote on the tax rate, I analyzed the budget and identified enough savings to balance the budget without adjusting the tax levy. I had secured assurance from officials in Jefferson City that we had time to vote to keep the tax rate the same.

When the meeting began, I made a motion to amend the agenda to vote on keeping the levy unchanged from the previous year. During citizen comments prior to the planned vote, then-Sen. Cunningham used her time to berate me for raising taxes and accused me of breaking my campaign promises, even though I already had made it clear that I would oppose any tax increase.

Later in the meeting, as planned, the board voted to not increase the tax rates. The bottom line is that Jane Cunningham did nothing to “lead” or “convince” the Board. More importantly, the tax levy has remained the same for the last two years.

Additionally, because of a new direction on the board, a new forward-thinking fire chief, and new policies that have been implemented, during my short tenure:

• We negotiated a working agreement with our employees which held salaries at the same level while reducing vacation benefits.
• We reduced the legal fees by 64 percent, decreasing them from $220,725 in 2010 to $80,329 last year.
• We have maintained a balanced budget despite a 5.3 percent decrease in revenue. In 2011, our revenues were nearly $18 million but decreased by $948,500 in 2012.
• We reduced sick leave hours by 38 percent, going from 15,070 sick hours in 2010 to 9,332 in 2012.
• We decreased workmen’s compensation hours even more, by 45 percent, since 2010 (11,541 in 2010 to just 6,317 in 2012).
• We lowered overtime pay by more than $150,000 from 2011 to 2012.
• We adopted new bidding processes for all significant service providers, saving taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
• We hired a public education officer whose sole function is to increase fire and EMS safety awareness for all of our citizens, particularly our school children and our senior community.

All of these facts and more are documented in the public record of Monarch Board meeting minutes, and I encourage all Monarch citizens to investigate the truth for themselves.

Sincerely,

Steve Swyers
Monarch Fire Protection District Board
Wildwood