Look at facts in Elburn fire vote

Chief Kelly Callaghan of the Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District has referred to the resident-initiated petition to leave his district as a "hostile takeover."

The term is certainly a catchy sound-bite, but it does not accurately describe the resident-initiated petition. The petition actually represents a voluntary exodus of Chief Callaghan's own constituents who are concerned about their personal safety, who are equally concerned about their current district's inability and unwillingness to provide (or allow) the best protection possible, and who desire to take advantage of the more highly rated Fox River District and its modern facilities which are far better situated to serve those residents.

Chief Callaghan hits all of the right political buzzwords, including debt, taxes and declining revenues. What he fails to do - what he cannot do - is competently is connect those concepts with the actual operations of the Fox River District. Fox River is financially healthy with steady revenues and a conservative financial policy. Elburn's tax rate is nearly three times that of Fox River's and its expenditures per capita dwarf those of Fox River and other comparable districts. This, without any identifiable advantage in service to its constituents.

In its actual operations, Fox River has proved itself time and time again. Our district is more highly rated by the Insurance Service Organization, and we demonstrated in court after a 5-day trial that based on the totality of both districts' operational capabilities, we could provide equal or better benefits to the residents of the disconnection area. All of this at roughly one-third the expense. That is not political spin or opinion. These are simply the facts. Remember to vote on Nov. 4.

James Gaffney

President, board of trustees

Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District