Voters on fifth try approve reduction in Elk Grove fire board's size

The fifth time was a winner for the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District board's repeated attempts to reduce its size.

With 3 of 3 precincts reporting, unofficial results show 14 votes for reducing the size of the board of trustees from seven members to five, and eight votes against. A ballot question proposing the change failed last fall; similar questions also were voted down in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Supporters say it's difficult to find enough interested, knowledgeable trustees to fill all seven positions on the board, which oversees the one-square-mile fire district in unincorporated areas of Elk Grove Township. They also say the reduction in size will reduce costs slightly.