“We regularly meet to empty rooms, with no input.”

That was one of Vashon Island Fire & Rescue Chief Charlie Krimmert’s responses to the wave of questions and comments islanders directed to him, Rick Wallace and Alice Larson at a recent public forum regarding the district’s board election and proposed increased levy.

The property-tax levy is drawing ire from some islanders particularly because it includes a provision that allows the board to increase revenue by up to 6 percent every year without a public vote as long as the rate does not exceed $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed home value. The addition of that provision was one of many levy decisions fire commissioners made during public meetings in rooms that were nearly empty. There were very few members of the public in attendance and little to no input as these decisions that will affect every taxpayer on the island were being made. It is only now that the levy is on the ballot that islanders are speaking up.

The Beachcomber wrote dozens of stories about the fire district, the presentations Krimmert made about the state of VIFR leading up to the levy decision and the process of drafting the levy. The stories were not well read. Our website metrics regularly showed fire district-related stories received only a few hundred views on this island with more than 8,500 registered voters. Meetings, including two that were held in July specifically to gather input on the levy, were held with no more than a handful of islanders in attendance. So the board pressed on and made the decisions it believed was best.

It is unfair and expensive to public entities and to taxpayers to let decisions be made with no feedback and then show opposition by voting against a measure as islanders did with the recent school bond attempts. Input needs to be solicited and given early and often so the measure that ends up on the ballot represents as closely as possible what the public desires and is willing to approve. Elections aren’t free. Krimmert last week said this election — two commissioners’ seats and the levy — is expected to cost the district $20,000. If the levy fails — as islanders make the statements against it they should have made months ago — and is brought back a second time, that’s thousands of dollars gone again. Repeat elections are not the best use of the island’s tax dollars, and especially not the best use of VIFR’s already dwindling funds.

Prevent unnecessary elections by becoming informed and voicing concerns about potential election matters, or any matter, early.