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These are (unofficial) updates from attended fire district meetings. While these are considered technically "unofficial" in the sense they are not coming directly from the FFD, they are indeed valid updates that can be verified through public records.

Latest Updates 12/4/2023

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Fishers Fire District Commissioner Election - December 12th, 3-9 pm, High Street Fire Station. 3 openings. 

Building on the successes of 2023, current  Chairman Heltz, and fellow candidates Maher and Urciuoli, are looking for your support to help deliver on our goals for 2024. In 2023, Chairman Heltz and the board delivered strong wins and have plans in motion to deliver further benefits to residents. These include:

• Passing a fiscally responsible 2024 budget that is within the NY State Tax Cap. Despite high inflation and heavy fixed staffing costs, the overall budget was held to a 2.6% increase. The budget process started with a tax rate of $3.92/$1k as the first pass, but with prudent budgeting for next year and the use of the prior year's "unspent funds," the rate was reduced to $3.25/$1k of assessed value. 

• Without their efforts, total taxes would have gone up 23% in 2024.

• Lowering the tax rate to $3.25 saves $235 per year for a $350,000 house.

• While the 2024 rate of $3.25 is slightly higher than the $3.18 rate for 2023, this was a very good result and still maintains our high level of service ensuring continued resident and firefighter safety.  

• The Board created and passed a resolution to provide a reduction in taxes for volunteer firefighters who live in the Fishers Fire District. This supports our current volunteers and hopefully will encourage new volunteers who want to step up and serve our community.  

• Right-sizing the Land and Building reserve has freed up over 1.2 Million dollars.  

• The Board plans to create a  "Contingency and Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund". This fund can be used to help offset future tax increases. 

Our main priority for 2024 will be to continue the Regionalization work that Chairman Heltz and Commissioner Carfagno are actively engaged in. This is focused on merging the Fishers, Mendon, and Honeoye Falls Fire Districts. The combined district will benefit from the high level of service that our professional firefighters provide but also spread the costs across a larger tax footprint. This will be a huge benefit to taxpayers from that perspective AND continue the great service that residents in Fishers currently have. 

Additionally, we need to ensure that taxpayer-friendly commissioners are at the table to finalize union negotiations. We will ensure resident and firefighter safety in a financially responsible manner.   Please consider voting for Heltz, Maher, Urciuoli. 

Latest Updates 10/29/2023

Hello Concerned Citizen!

We wanted to provide an update on a number of key things going on and to ask for your continued support. While there have been changes that have occurred with the Board this year; please know that taxpayer interests are still at the forefront. Commissioners Tony Carfagno, Chris Schoff, and George Heltz have delivered strong wins this year and have plans in motion to deliver further benefits to residents. These include:

• Passing a fiscally responsible 2024 budget that is under the NY State Tax Cap. Despite high inflation and heavy fixed staffing costs, the overall budget was held to a 2.6% increase. The budget process started with a tax rate of $3.92/$1k as the first pass, but with prudent budgeting for next year and the use of the prior year's "unspent funds," the rate was reduced to $3.25/$1k of assessed value. 

  • Without their efforts, total taxes would have gone up 23% in 2024.

  • Lowering the tax rate to $3.25 saves $235 per year for a $350,000 house.

• While the 2024 rate of $3.25 is slightly higher than the $3.18 rate for 2023, this was a very good result and still maintains our high level of service ensuring continued resident and firefighter safety.  

• The Board created and passed a resolution to provide a reduction in taxes for volunteer firefighters who live in the Fishers Fire District. This supports our current volunteers and hopefully will encourage new volunteers who want to step up and serve our community.  

• Right-sizing the Land and Building reserve, which has freed up over $1.2 Million dollars.  

• The Board plans to create a  "Contingency and Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund".  This fund can be used to help offset future tax increases.

• Most importantly, the Board is actively engaged with a Regionalization project that is looking at merging the Fishers, Mendon, and Honeoye Falls Fire Districts. This combined district will benefit from the high level of service that our professional firefighters provide but also spread the costs across a larger tax footprint. This will be a huge benefit to taxpayers from that perspective AND continue the great service that residents in Fishers currently have. The current commissioners support and are actively driving this. 

While there has been great progress, and there are solid plans in place; your help is absolutely critical right now. Currently, there is one board seat open and we are going into the December elections, where 3 board seats are up for election. Please consider if you can step up and help to further the cause by running for a position or taking the open Board seat. All of the progress made and the future plans are riding on this election. If you are interested in this or are able to help us with the election, please contact us.

-Fishers Taxpayer Coalition and FFD Admin

Latest Updates 7/22/2023

Hello Concerned Citizen!

It's been a minute, but we have some updates for you!

• Chief Chapman Retires

  • Chief Chapman submitted his retirement letter to the FFD Board of Commissioners last month. 

  • His last official day with FFD was June 25th. 

  • The FFD Board currently has a search underway for a new Chief. In the meantime, the Assistant Chief and the FFD Lieutenants are managing day-to-day operations for the Fire Department. 

• 10-Year Financial Presentation 

  • In the name of fiscal transparency, the FFD Board of Commissioners will host a presentation by an independent CPA Firm that will show the projected costs for FFD for the next 10-plus years. 

  • Please make an effort to attend this important presentation at the next District Meeting on Tuesday, July 25th, at 6:30 pm at Fisher Fire Department #2 on High Street. 

Latest Updates 12/1/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

This week we received a message from FFD commissioner candidate Tony Carfagno which he asked to be share with our followers. We fully support Tony, and hope you will take the time to read his message below:

Dear Fishers Citizens,

With 2 weeks to go to Election Day, I wanted to provide a quick update to all.

First off, I want to give a big THANK YOU to my Campaign Team. You have all done a great job with Election Signs, FFD Facts, Campaign Materials /Supplies, fundraising, campaign strategy and of course, countering all of the ridiculous false information that is being posted on social media by my competitor's surrogates.

The Krym campaign has no real plan other than to keep the “status quo” in FFD and let the Union continue to run the show, which will include union-biased commissioners negotiating the next 5-year contract with the union. We cannot let that happen!

Jean Krym’s mouthpieces, especially union leader and Krym Campaign Manager Jason Ashton, have resorted to negative tactics against the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition, Fred, Deb, and me as that is all they have to run on. One of the most ridiculous statements I’ve heard from the Krym Campaign is that we would be canceling 911 services in the Fishers Fire District for EMS calls if I’m elected.

First of all, that cannot happen. If someone calls 911 for a medical emergency, an EMS Agency (fire, ambulance, etc) will show up at your door. The Fishers Taxpayer Coalition’s plan to have an ambulance staged in the Fishers Fire District will ENHANCE EMS services for our residents as it will greatly cut down the travel time that it currently takes VFAC to respond to the west side of our town. When minutes count, doesn’t it make sense to have an ambulance and crew that can respond quickly AND be able to transport a patient to an Emergency Room if needed? Of course, it does!

Second, Deb, Fred, and I are fully committed to continuing the excellent Paramedic/EMS service that we currently have.  Fishers Fire District medical services will not only continue but will be better because we are going to fix the 10-minute hospital transport delay by putting an ambulance into one of our two firehouses.

As we enter the home stretch here folks, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you go to the High St. Fire Station on December 13 th (3-9 pm) and vote for me. This is our one opportunity to have 3 like-minded Commissioners that can get our Fire District on a sustainable financial path for the foreseeable future and still provide great service.  It won’t happen unless you get out and VOTE! I know it's December and it’s cold out so you might be tempted to say “I’m only one vote so it won’t matter” but remember, two years ago the election ended in a tie and there had to be a runoff election in January. That “one vote” counts! Please spread the word to all of your family and friends that live in the Fishers Fire District, add it to your calendar, then vote for Tony Carfagno on December 13.

Remember our campaign slogan “WE NEED THREE!” but we can’t get there without your votes! Thank you.

Thanks,

Tony Carfagno

As a reminder, voting will take place on December 13th, 2022 at Fishers Fire Station #2 380 High Street in Victor. We look forward to seeing you there!

Latest Updates 11/17/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Now that we have announced our excellent candidate, Tony Carfagno, we would like to share the dynamics of this upcoming election (December 13th):

In 2023, the Fishers Fire District will negotiate the next union labor contract with our firefighters. This will be the main opportunity to reduce taxes while maintaining our excellent service. If Tony wins this election, we will have 3 out of the 5 Commissioner board seats, which will give the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition control of the district, and put US (YOU) at the bargaining table.  

Naturally, the union is very concerned about this scenario. They are supporting a candidate who will represent them. How do we know this? The campaign manager for the opposition is a union firefighter! He has promised to lead the campaign, including social media efforts, and impersonated the candidate on Facebook.

The union is even going so far as to tell people that medical and 911 services will be canceled. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are in full support of our excellent Fishers paramedics, and we have obtained a commitment from Victor Farmington Ambulance to base an ambulance in our district to dramatically decrease hospital transport times. Medical and 911 service will improve with Tony on the Board.

The choice this election is clear: Do you want this negotiation to be run by the union or by the taxpayers? If you want your taxes to be reduced without losing our high-quality service, please vote for Tony on December 13th. See below for details. This is our most important election. The union is pulling out all the stops against us. But the taxpayers will prevail once again, with your help.

This is our one chance to get costs under control and put you, the Taxpayer, first.

We Need Three!  

Election Details: Elections will be held on Tuesday, December 13th from 3 pm to 9 pm. You must vote in person at Fishers Fire Station, 380 High Street. Mark your calendar and send us a reply that you, your family, and your friends will be voting for Tony Carfagno. As always, we appreciate your support.

Your friends at the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition.

Latest Updates 9/24/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Budget: It is budget season for the Fishers Fire District. This past Tuesday the FFD Board of Commissioners finalized the 2023 budget subject to a review by the public and a final approval vote on Tuesday, October 18. With the help of Commissioners Dewey and Hogan, $700,000 will be sent back to taxpayers and will help keep taxes lower. This is a temporary fix based on returning money that was improperly collected in previous years. It is imperative that we get our third board member elected so the needed changes to permanently lower the tax rate can be made.

Contract Update: As mentioned last month FFD received a long-term contract extension proposal from the union. The contract has been reviewed by an experienced labor lawyer (30+ years) and the lawyer sent a memo to the district outlining areas that need negotiation. At the September meeting, the board agreed that Commissioner Hogan will represent the taxpayers along with Commissioner Fischer and the labor lawyer as the negotiating team. 

Updates will be provided to you on this process over the upcoming months. Unfortunately, New York State law prevents us from discussing the actual terms of the proposed contract until negotiations are complete.

Election: The upcoming election will be held on December 13 from 3:00 pm – 9 pm at Station 2 (High Street). You must vote in person because absentee ballots are not supported. Mark your calendars NOW! And please have your family and friends in the district mark their calendars now. This is the most important election because it will take us from a minority position to a majority position on the Board, which will allow us to make the permanent changes that are needed.

The Fishers Taxpayer Coalition will be announcing our candidate shortly. If you are interested in helping with the campaign or donating money to help fund our efforts, please send an email to us at FFDFacts@gmail.com

Next FFD Board of Commissioners Meeting! Please plan to attend.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

6:30 pm

Fisher's Fire Station #2, 

380 High St, Victor, NY 14564

Latest Updates 8/19/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

We're sorry we've been quiet over the summer, but we hope you've had a restful one. It's time to get back into FFD awareness as we have some major things coming up.

Today’s email covers three very important topics. Read on!!

Budget Meeting Scheduled for August 30, 6:00 pm at High Street

After a review of the preliminary budget, there are several areas of concern that will need public support and input. Please plan to attend if at all possible.

Election Coming Right Up!

It’s hard to believe but there are less than 4 months until the election! We have our candidate lined up and are starting to prepare our campaign plan. This is the most critical year because winning will mean that we (the concerned citizens of Fishers!) finally have control of the Board of Commissioners and will work diligently towards YOUR goals with YOUR input.

We are actively accepting donations to fund the campaign as well as looking for helpers for various tasks. Please respond to this email for further information.

August 16 Meeting Updates

As usual, there was never a dull moment at our monthly meeting. 

1. The largest issue raised with automatic EMS call support being provided to Mendon at NO COST. Since June 22, $35,000 of taxpayer monies have been spent covering for Mendon because no volunteers were available. It was argued that this coverage falls under the mutual aid program that the Chief can approve without board approval.

2. An update was provided on discussions with the union. It was revealed to the public that a long-term contract extension was received from the union and is being reviewed by a labor lawyer. Commissioners Dewey and Hogan believe there are several issues that need to be discussed and negotiated before a contract can be signed.

3. On the matter of hiring an attorney, Commissioners Dewey and Hogan recommended hiring a firm that had previous experience with Fire District contracts, was endorsed by two former commissioners and cost less than the proposed lawyer. By a vote of 3-2, the firm recommended by the District lawyer was approved over the one proposed by Dewey and Hogan.

As always, we continue to appreciate your support and look forward to getting out the vote later this year!

Latest Updates 3/26/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

On Tuesday, March 15, the monthly Commissioner’s meeting was held. In our opinion, the meeting was one of the worst in the last two years. Read the following carefully. The transcript from the meeting recording can be read here: Transcript from the meeting recording 3/15/22 Meeting Dialogue

Don't have time? Here’s a quick recap: Commissioner Fischer managed to insult Commissioners Dewey/Hogan, the taxpayer base, and specifically one individual taxpayer in attendance. Based on his comments, the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition is demanding the immediate resignation of Chairman Fischer. 

Here are our main concerns: 

1. Restricting Taxpayer Input: Commissioner Skidmore introduced an agenda item to restrict taxpayer input to be allowed ONLY at the end of the meeting, after all of the voting was complete. Commissioner Fischer not only supported the agenda item, but he also went as far as to say the public should not have input because they have never been firefighters and “they are coming from out in left field.” He also said it was a “fact” that Commissioners Dewey/Hogan did not have valid input on the Board. His disrespect for us Fishers’ citizens and our money is unacceptable.

2. Replacement of 3 Firefighters: The next big area of contention was the hiring of 3 new firefighters to replace the three that recently resigned. Commissioners Dewey/Hogan have REPEATEDLY asked that we not fill vacancies to reduce costs for future budgets and save the taxpayers money. Commissioners Dewey/Hogan campaigned against the unneeded headcount (26 plus a Chief), while the other three Commissioners not only support the current headcount but would also like to ultimately have 32 plus a Chief. Commissioner Johnson stated that he and the other two commissioners were not willing to go below the current staffing levels, so it was agreed to take the vote. Approved by a 3-2 vote (Fischer, Skidmore, Johnson-yes; Dewey, Hogan-no).

3. New Tahoe: The final straw was the resolution to pursue pricing for a new Chevy Tahoe (approximately $50,000+) for the Chief. Commissioner Dewey/Hogan asked that the purchase be delayed and the $50,000 be applied to replacing our primary ladder truck fire engine, which is a known lemon that needs to be urgently replaced 8 years sooner than planned (half its normal life), at a cost of at least $1 million. Another idea from Commissioners Hogan and Dewey is to restructure the SUV/pickup fleet and reduce it by 1 vehicle. Once again, Commissioner Dewey/Hogan’s request was ignored and the resolution was approved by a 3-2 vote (Fischer, Skidmore, Johnson-yes; Dewey, Hogan-no).

As always, we love hearing from you and look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, which will be Tuesday, April 19th at 6:30pm at the Fishers Fire Station on High Street. Please join us at this meeting to demand that the other 3 commissioners take direction and action based on taxpayer input.  

Latest Updates 2/18/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Here is a recap of the major items discussed at the February 15, 2022 Board of Commissioners meeting that we will need to watch carefully as we move forward.

Let’s keep our eyes on:

• The Post Retirement Health Care Plan costs will be reviewed at the May meeting when the annual audit is presented. The anticipated cost for this program increased by $500K from last year. This needs to be a major item for the union contract renegotiation in 2023.

• Replacement of the Assistant Chief’s vehicle ($50,000) will be discussed at the March 15 meeting. Is this really needed?

• Two firefighters have recently resigned. 

  • A resolution to hire replacements was tabled while discussions with the union are ongoing to not replace. 

  • Commissioner Dewey/Hogan are opposed to the replacements ($approximately $300,000 in annual savings). 

  • An update will be provided in the March meeting. In the meantime, overtime costs will continue to accelerate due to a lack of flexibility in the union contract.

• Lifetime (training) building: It came to light that the building is still being used, even though the Board told Chief last spring to stop all activity due to suspected asbestos/mold (liability issue). 

  • The Chief stated he had an inspector give him a verbal ok to use the building, but never informed the Board. 

  • Commissioner Hogan demanded they stop using the building immediately until a written report is issued.

  • Commissioner Dewey (Safety Committee) volunteered to be part of the inspection with NYS and Chief. A report will be due in March.

The above are just a few of the many issues the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition is working on by providing input to Commissioners Dewey/Hogan. If you have ideas or comments, let us know.

The next meeting is Tuesday, March 15, 6:30 pm at Station #2 (High Street)

As always we appreciate your support.

Latest Updates 1/20/2022

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Last night the Fishers Fire District held its first official full meeting for the year. With Commissioner Fred Dewey on board, the team had a few victories!

The December 7th meeting minutes have been a topic of contention ever since it was held.

• Commissioner Hogan submitted additions/corrections to the meeting minutes to address false accusations made by the other commissioners which led to their refusal to approve the minutes.

• Last night, the minutes were approved with the changes.

Commissioner Hogan presented a resolution to rescind the meeting that was held on the first Tuesday of the month.

• This meeting was added last year because of a refusal by board members to post draft minutes.

• Since drafts are being posted, there was no need for the superfluous meeting.

• The resolution was approved, so there will be one monthly meeting for the remainder of the year (the third Tuesday).

Finally, Chief Chapman tried to gain approval to add another full-time firefighter.

• Both Commissioner Dewey and Hogan stated this was inconsistent with the proposal made during the budget meeting which was to hire a temporary, 1-year “floater” firefighter to cover overtime hours with a flexible schedule.

• To accomplish this, the union would be required to agree.

  • While the union had discussed the concept and is in favor, no agreement has been finalized.

• As a result, the resolution was tabled.

We continue to encourage ALL citizens to attend regular meetings and make sure their concerns are being heard. The next meeting is on February 15, 6:30 pm at Fishers Fire Station #2 (High Street).

Latest Updates 12/8/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Fred Dewey has put together an excellent summary video of what we stand for here at the Fishers Taxpayer Coalition, and why people should vote for him. We are also putting it on our website tonight, www.FFDFacts.com

Click here to watch it, click here or go to the direct link: https://youtu.be/FGNcDHtfsOM 

Please consider forwarding to all of your friends and family who live in our district.

Don't forget to put in your calendar to vote on Tuesday, December 14th from 3pm to 9pm at the High Street fire station.

Latest Updates 12/2/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

We are less than two weeks away from the election. Have you marked your calendars for December 14, 3-9 pm at the Fishers Fire Station on High Street? Please tell your friends and family about the election and ask them to vote as well.

In case you were wondering, there are a lot of good reasons to support Fred Dewey for Commissioner. We've made this simple chart so you can compare the key issues (you can also check it out on FFDFacts.com)

As always, we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the polls.

Latest Updates 10/18/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Tomorrow is a BIG day for all of Fishers' citizens. At 6 pm, the Fire District will be presenting its 2022 budget and this will be the LAST opportunity for the public to let their voices be heard. Following the 6 pm meeting, the commissioners will vote on the budget.

Please attend! This is a super important meeting that WILL affect your taxes. If you're unsure of how or where to attend, please don't hesitate to reach out. We cannot do this without you, our concerned citizen!

Latest Updates 10/4/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

For those of you who were unable to attend the FFD meeting in person on September 21st, here is a recap:

• The main purpose of the Sept. 21st meeting was to deal with the upcoming negative report from the official New York State financial audit of the Fishers Fire District finances.  

  • In that report (which is not yet published but will be soon), NYS auditors identified three major areas of shortcoming: over-taxation, not adopting realistic budgets, and overriding the tax cap when it was not needed.

  • This was official confirmation of what all of us taxpayers have known for the past year. And it was great to have it validated by official accounting auditors.

• The New York State audit process requires that the district provide a written memo responding to the findings of the audit. 

  • The District Treasurer drafted a response letter and presented it to the board at this meeting. The response letter stated that the Board generally disagreed with the audit findings and felt the high taxes were necessary to maintain the safety of the operation. 

  • Commissioner Hogan stated that she did not support the response letter because the audit findings are correct, so she wanted the response memo to acknowledge the mistakes of the past but did support the proposed corrective action plan.

  • Commissioners Fischer (who was finally able to attend and lead a meeting, after missing several meetings and getting called out by taxpayers at the last meeting) and Johnson, who were on the board for the entire audit period, felt the proposed responses were appropriate as drafted. 

  • The vote to approve the letter was 4-1, with Commissioner Hogan being the lone dissent.

Other topics included:

• A report by Supervisor Marren (liaison to FFD from the town).  The county-wide EMS/Fire Study has been approved and CGR (Center for Gov't Research) has been selected to do the study.  Supervisor Marren expects the results to come back by March.

• Setting the date for the public hearing/approval of the 2022 budget -- October 20, 6:00 pm

• Sending out an RFP for 2022 legal services.  This will be imperative as we begin renegotiating the union contract.

• A request by Commissioner Skidmore to send a letter to the Victor Fire District to have the two boards meet and start a workshop for consolidation.

As always, thank you for your support!  You are helping make a huge difference in the changes we are seeing with the Fishers Fire District.

Latest Updates 9/13/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thanks to all of you who sent letters to the Commissioners and have regularly attended our meetings!! Your message was received LOUD AND CLEAR.

While we can't declare victory yet (the budget is not final), significant progress was made in achieving our $1.2 million dollar reduction in the 2022 budget. At the current moment, the 2021 tax rate is $3.464 per thousand dollars of assessment and the 2022 number stands currently at $2.82 (a 19% DECREASE)!!

Commissioners Williamson and Johnson reworked the long-term apparatus plan so that NO TAXES ($300,000) will be collected this year to add to the reserve funds. Commissioner Hogan supported a moratorium for three years with the fund balance still having over $.5 million remaining at the end of the 3 years. A compromise was reached for the plan (2022-$0, 2023-$50,000, 2024-$100,000).

Commissioners Mike Skidmore and Lieutenant Pete Ellison developed a long-term building plan. This will result in NO TAXES ($200,000) in the long-term plan for the next 3 years (2022-$0, 2023-$0, 2024-$0). The plan now includes no spending on land or a training center until a consolidation plan is considered.

Finally, there was a discussion about the Unassigned Fund Balance and how much of that should be returned to the public (via a lower tax rate). Commissioner Hogan proposed $750,000 and Commissioner Skidmore proposed $600,000. A compromise by Commissioner Williamson was accepted at $700,000,

There are still a few remaining issues to be discussed before the budget is final but we have come a long way since this entire journey started in February of 2020. 

There is still a LOT of work to be done... getting together with Victor to discuss consolidation, renegotiating the union contract, and getting committed citizens in Commissioner positions to make it happen.

On a final note, Commissioner and Chairman Fischer missed yet another meeting! This meeting was specifically rescheduled per his request to ensure he could attend. During the public comments, two citizens discussed the importance of having ALL Commissioners at the meeting and requested he resign. We all know he has an extremely busy schedule and hopes he will seriously consider their message. It would be beneficial to have someone who can regularly participate take his place on the board.

NEXT MEETING: September 21, 6:30 pm, High Street Station. See you then!

Latest Updates 9/7/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

We hope everyone had a great weekend. Please take note that Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting has moved to Thursday, September 9th at 6 pm (fire station #2).  Following that meeting, there will be most likely the LAST budget workshop before the final October Budget meeting.

Please do everything that you can to attend both meetings: bring your neighbors, friends, significant others, etc. Let your voice be heard and ensure that the FFD knows your feelings on where (and how much!) your tax money is spent.

Finally, if you haven't done so already, please consider sending a letter (below) to the commissioners. If you are physically mailing a copy, please send it to Station #2 at 380 High Street.

Budget Letter-  Our commissioners have stated that only a small portion of the public (those that diligently attend FFD meetings) are the ones who want a tax reduction

1. • We know there are MANY of you out there and on our mailing list that want lower taxes

   • Even if you can't make it to a meeting to show your support, we encourage you to reach out to the commissioners to let them know that it is NOT a small portion of the public.

   • We are enclosing two letters for your use: One can be printed and mailed, the other can be used to email.

   • We ask that you send your letter TODAY and then pass this along to anyone who has tax concerns so they can do the same. 

   • The next budget meeting is September 9th, and unless we show up, we could see more tax hikes by the FFD.

Get the EMAIL version of our template, here.

Get the MAILED version of our template, here.

Latest Updates 8/23/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thank you to all who showed up to Tuesday's Board of Commissioners Meeting and the previous budget workshop meeting. There's a lot to catch up on, but more importantly, we need your help! This email includes: A letter template for lowering our budget and a detailed look at how simple it might be for FFD to lower our budget.

*If you only have time for one thing, read this first section*

Budget Letter-  Our commissioners have stated that only a small portion of the public (those that diligently attend FFD meetings) are the ones who want a tax reduction

1. • We know there are MANY of you out there and on our mailing list that want lower taxes

   • Even if you can't make it to a meeting to show your support, we encourage you to reach out to the commissioners to let them know that it is NOT a small portion of the public.

   • We are enclosing two letters for your use: One can be printed and mailed, the other can be used to email.

   • We ask that you send your letter TODAY and then pass this along to anyone who has tax concerns so they can do the same (and tell them to sign up for the FFD Updates!). 

   • The next budget meeting is September 9th, and unless we show up, we could see more tax hikes by the FFD.

Get the EMAIL version of our template, here.

Get the MAILED version of our template, here.

Budget Update- The initial budget called for a 12.5% INCREASE over last year. 

1. • Commissioner Hogan examined every single line item and pushed to use resrve funds towards budget items (vs. using tax monies that should be refunded to taxpayers.

   • Round #2 of the budget workshop is now calling for a 5.8% increase over last year.

   • Frankly, we find this to be unacceptable. Taxpayers should be receiving a $1,000,000.00 (one million!) reduction from last year's budget... NOT an increase (see below for more information)!

Reserves/Unassigned Funds: Our reserve and unassigned funds continue to increase. Over the past five years these are the actual numbers:

Unassigned | Equipment | Land/Building

2017 $651,536.00 |  $961,593.00 | $530,530.00 

2018 $1,078,755.00 | $954,722.00 | $731,718.00 

2019 $1,495,914.00 | $807,992.00 | $1,331,583.00 

2020 $1,848,362.00 | $1,075,020.00 | $1,542,789.00 

Jul-21 $2,319,455.00 | $1,415,997.00  | $1,744,096.00 

Reserves/Unassigned Funds Cont: While there is no doubt that it is appropriate to set aside some monies from the unassigned for contingency purposes, there will still be a significant amount that could be "refunded" to taxpayers as part of the budget process

• Additionally, $500,000 has been collected annually for equipment and land/building.

  • There is no longer a need at this time to collect these funds

  • *Equipment and land/building reserves CANNOT be refunded to taxpayers per state law-- so it makes no sense to put more money into those reserve funds

Training Center/Land Purchase: Where will all of our money go? Well, the NYS audit has actually asked for a "plan" to be put together on how to spend all of the excess money that FFD has collected from its citizens, and review that plan with the public.

• Commissioner Skidmore announced that there is a team looking at purchasing land and building a new training center for FFD.

• While it sounds like there is a movement to engage other districts and fire departments to help fund this adventure, it is clear that none of our neighbors are planning on this for 2022, thus it should not be a part of our 2022 taxes.

• Rather than continuing to take money from hard-working citizens for a project that might not even happen, we believe excess funds should be given back to Fishers' citizens.

Overtime: This is one area we would love to see FFD improve upon. In 2020, the average overtime was about 235 hours per person! At a 1.5x pay rate, this costs taxpayers an additional $279,000 per year.

Fishers Volunteer Fire Organization: Many of you probably received your annual donation request from the Fishers Volunteer Fire Organization. We find it disgraceful that we pay over $5,000,000.00 (five million) for our fire service... but that's still not enough? 

• We applaud the few who do volunteer, however, we requested their financials, and similar to FFD, they are holding on to a pretty nice chunk of change to the tune of $250,000.

• We recommend NOT sending a donation until our taxes have been reduced.

Please attend! With the summer winding down, we hope to see a few more people at FFD meetings. If you're unsure of how or where to attend, please don't hesitate to reach out. We cannot do this without you, our concerned citizen!

Latest Updates 7/29/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thank you to all who showed up to Tuesday's Board of Commissioners Meeting-- We apologize for the delay in our recap. We were waiting for the outcomes of two meetings, the FLREMSC meeting, which occurred on Monday of this week, and the Victor/Farmington joint town board meeting, which occurred Tuesday of this week.

So, without further ado, here we go! First, a recap of the FFD meeting that took place on July 20th:

• The attendance at this meeting was sparse, and we don't mean by citizens. No, actually, we mean many FFD members were not in attendance. This included Commissioner Hogan (family emergency), Attorney Harris, Chief Chapman, or the Assistant Chief. 

• Of most importance, John Williamson was approved to fill the open commissioner role in a 3-0 vote. We look forward to Commissioner Williamson's help in further our agenda to lower the town's taxes and hold the district responsible.

• The vote to approve $65,000 of cardiac equipment was approved. understandably, this needs to happen to save lives as an ALS provider (more on that later). Unfortunately, the district refuses to use its massive reserve pile for this, claiming they will need it for a new fire truck in 20 years. From our point of view, the FFD is basically taking our hard-earned money, interest-free, for 20 years when they should be using it as needed and not overcharging us for their savings account-- saving us on TONS of taxes (not to mention having to actually seek the public's approval for larger purchases).

Now, onto the FLREMSC meeting:

• As many of you may have been following along for the past year, part of the costs of our fire department is that they have leveraged their position to become ALS (advanced life-saving) certified. This is EXPENSIVE as it allows our fire trucks (which are NOT ambulances) to take calls that would otherwise go to ambulances. Unfortunately, this means we're sending 2+ trucks to each event, paying for firemen/firewomen to be certified (and also paying them more once they are certified), and actually only applied for merely two years ago on a temporary basis. This meeting was to determine the ongoing status of the ALS certification.

  • At this meeting, a permanent license was granted to FFD and baring an appeal, this will simply need to be renewed every 2 years going forward.

  • While disappointing, perhaps the bigger disappointment was that it was evident that some voting members either never received a report from the hearing attorney, didn't attend, or simply didn't read it. Furthermore, the attorney was not present, and when asked by citizens about certain aspects, they were shut down immediately.

Additionally, as if this wasn't enough, the town boards of Victor and Farmington met on Tuesday, July 27th, to discuss adding a new tax for residents (of both towns) to support the ambulance service (this is NOT for the ALS service of FFD). 

• Both boards are supportive of levying the tax, which will start in January of 2022, costing the taxpayers upwards of $800,000-$1,000,000.  

• This means Fishers' citizens will essentially be double taxed, paying for both the ALS service provided by the FFD and the true ambulance service of the towns (VFAC)

Latest Updates 6/19/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thank you to all who showed up at Tuesday's meeting. There is a lot to recap, but if you're short on time, here's what happened (more details below):

• Mann officially resigned

• Treasurer's report reveals almost $1,000,000 (yes... one million) in unassigned monies

• Audit reveals FFD has been overtaxing its citizens

• The audit also revealed that our union contract demands FFD pay for retired health care costs upwards of $800,000

• Commissioner Hogan challenges the board to find a way to "refund" the taxpayers

• First things first, following the Tuesday meeting, Commissioner Mann submitted his resignation effective 6/18. While the board is not required to replace him immediately, two citizens have previously stated they are willing to take Mr. Mann’s seat. We thank Commissioner Mann for his years of service and hope the board will act swiftly to find an adequate replacement. There is no reason to stay with four commissioners when the public has been actively asking to be more involved and offering their services (we have been told that it is our responsibility, after all).

• Speaking of Commissioners, has anyone seen Commissioner Fischer? He has missed 3 out of the last 4 meetings. While we understand he has a full-time job outside of being a commissioner, we strongly believe that the best ability is availability. If the Chief is calling out the public for not actively being involved, we hope he has the same expectations for his board. Furthermore, it is concerning that all of the board members don't know when he (Fischer) is not going to show up for a meeting. With the budget coming up there is real work to be done and for that, we need a FULL BOARD.

On to the treasurer's report and audit...

• The treasurer’s report stated that the district ended the year with $989,753 in unassigned monies. While some of this was COVID-related, the district has consistently overcharged taxpayers each year between ($400,000-$600,000). Excess funds have been transferred to reserves or left in place versus lowering taxes (with the exception of the 2021 budget and pressure from taxpayers). 

• But it gets better (worse?). The highlight of this meeting was the audit report from the local CPA, McDonald, Cointot & Crouse LLP. In general, financials met the requirements and the district is in good standing. However, David McDonald did point out a few items that were very concerning to the taxpayers in attendance. :

• • First, Mr. McDonald said the CPA firm has consistently suggested that the District start using its equipment and building reserves rather than continue to grow the funds.  Each year, the District has taxed the community $500,000 to add to the reserves.

  • Next, (and of most concern), due to the union contract which guarantees coverage for retired health care costs there is a POTENTIAL $890,015 liability to which nothing has been reserved. He highly recommended that this be removed from the next union contract.

  • Overall, the CPA firm has recommended that the District reevaluate its costs and expenses and ensure revenues (i.e. taxes) do not continue to increase. At this point, Commissioner Hogan asked Mr. McDonald to read a portion of the Management letter to the public. Unfortunately, due to this being an inter-agency memo, the public was told that this was not required and unless the board agreed, the findings would not be available to the public, even with a FOIL request. The taxpayers were outraged, that they funded the audit through tax dollars yet could not see the report. Commissioner Hogan asked Commissioners Skidmore/Johnson to allow the summary to be read and their response was “NO”. So much for transparency!

Commissioner Hogan has challenged the board members to “refund” $1.4 million minimum with a realistic expectation of $1.6 million in the next budget cycle. This would take the current tax rate from $3.464 to 2.464, a reduction of 29% to our tax bills.

That's all for today. We will keep you updated when the official minutes come out and remind you of upcoming meetings. Thank you again to everyone who has shown their support!

Latest Updates 6/14/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Do you know what time it is? That's right, after weeks away... it's finally meeting time tomorrow night at 6:30 pm.

• In case you missed it, the chief has called us, the public, out on the front page of FFD (fishersfd.org): 

  • "I am not sure if it has always been the case but at least in my adult life, silence is acceptance. By this I mean all areas of our life if we do not voice our concerns then the powers to be assume they are on the right track and keep moving in that direction. Each year the commission would get budget requests from the operations side and not hear from the public."..."Now to the residents, where is their responsibility? Is it your fault that they never bothered to look at their taxes each and every year? The excuse that they are escrowed is lame as I know that they still get the statement and can see what the rates are." ... "As the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink. Over 70% of the resident voters did not bother to vote."

  • Don't worry chief. We hear and see you. We will not be silent any longer.

• Here is the agenda for tomorrow night's meeting. Not too much to see here except for two things:

  • It says that Mann will be in attendance. So much for trust, did he not just turn his back and quit on the public last meeting? Will the real Commissioner Mann please stand up.

  • The annual audit will also be released, we look forward to seeing what the findings are.

As you can see, the FFD assumes we will back down and let them do as they please. We may have been blinded in the past, but our eyes are wide open now. Please join us at Station #2 tomorrow night at 6:30 pm to let your voice be heard. After over 6 months of work, we will not back down now.

Latest Updates 5/17/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Tomorrow is another Board of Commissioners Meeting.  Please be aware that the location has CHANGED to Station #2 in the truck bay. The time remains at 6:30 pm and we hope to see you there!

In exciting news, one of our followers FOILed the FFD for the full meeting agenda. You can find that here. As you'll see, Commissioner Hogan continues to push her resolutions that would allow for greater transparency. We hope that, unlike previous meetings, the other commissioners will consider seconding and actually approving these resolutions:

• RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE TIMELY FIRE CHIEF’S REPORTS TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE FISHERS  FIRE DISTRICT

• TRANSPARENCY FOR FISHERS FIRE DISTRICT TAXPAYERS

If the taxpayers and the district are ever going to meet in the middle, we MUST have these simple requests passed. Taxpayers are no longer turning a blind eye to how our district is run. There is a way that it can be run effectively AND efficiently. We hope the board sees and hears our concerns.

Latest Updates 5/3/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thank you to all who showed up to Tuesday's Board of Commissioners Meeting. The meeting held on April 20 was a replay of other meetings. And before we forget, we hope to see you tomorrow, May 4th, at 6:30 pm for the next Board of Commissioners meeting. As you'll read below, we need to continue to show our faces and make sure that the taxpayers' voices are heard.

4/20/21 Recap:

• Fred Dewey represented the taxpayers and gave the Board specific direction on where we want them to head.  He requested a formal response at the next meeting.  As you will see, however, they continued to ignore the public.  Click below to see both his PowerPoint and Word document of his presentation.

  FFD Board Presentation - Dewey - 04-20-2021.pptx

 Fred Dewey Presentation to Fishers Fire Dept Bo...

• Several resolutions were presented and the results are disturbing:

• • A resolution from Supervisor Marren to endorse a county-wide study was approved AFTER the language for a hiring freeze was deleted.

• • A resolution for two new firefighters to be hired was passed (4-1) with Commissioner Hogan voting No.

• • A resolution by Commissioner Hogan to publish key documents (agendas, minutes, resolutions, etc) was once again ignored.  There was no second so the motion died again for the second month.  Commissioner Hogan promised to bring it back next month.

  • A second meeting was added each month to approve meeting minutes and pay bills.  This sounded great until we learned that Commissioner Hogan stated she was not available and had requested Chairman Fischer schedule it for another day/time.  The commissioners were unwilling to work with one another and find a time that all five could attend. Teamwork apparently does not make the dream work.

• • • The next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, May 4th, at 6:30 pm. While the FFD website clearly states that, "1st Tuesday of each month designated to approved meeting minutes and to pay necessary bills, and the 3rd Tuesday as the day the District will hold its regular monthly Board of Fire Commissioner’s meeting." The commissioners are already putting up resolutions on the agenda. This is a SLIPPERY slope that we do NOT need to go on.

• • And FINALLY, a resolution was passed to provide INDEMNIFICATION and DEFENSE for the officers, employees, members of the Board of Commissioners, and volunteer firefighters by the fire district.

The taxpayers were visibly frustrated by the actions of the board.  It will be interesting to see if the Board responds next month to the call to action given by Fred Dewey.

Latest Updates 4/19/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Well, it's that time of the month again, Fishers Fire Department just released their agenda for Tuesday's meeting (tomorrow, 6:30 pm at Firehouse #2 on 380 High St-- and we hope to see you there). Much to our pleasure, there are a lot of GOOD things on this agenda. But also as anticipated, there are some things on here that just make us shake our head. Let's dive in and take a quick look:

Three Cheers!:

1. The first thing we're excited about is that Fred Dewey (recall, he wrote that letter last week) will be presenting at the meeting. Fred plans to discuss a cost-saving proposal. If there is one thing to get you to this meeting, we hope this is it!

2. The second thing we're thrilled to see is a proposed resolution that states: RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE FISHERS FIRE DISTRICT. Yes, please! Now, THIS is what we're talking about. Something so simple, EVERY commissioner should be on board.

3. Finally, a resolution which we believe stemmed from Supervisor Jack Marren's attendance at the last meeting: REQUEST AND SUPPORT FROM THE ONTARIO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM CONSULTANTS FOR COUNTY-WIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES STUDY. There should be nothing controversial about asking that our fire department, its chief, and its board of commissioners make INFORMED decisions. We hope to see this resolution passed, too.

Not everything is looking great though... Three Jeers:

1. Remember the last meeting when the commissioners stated they were merely starting the process of looking for replacements and not actually hiring firefighters? Well, they wasted no time and will officially be looking to hire two more firefighters in this resolution: AUTHORIZATION TO HIRE TWO REPLACEMENT FIREFIGHTERS. We don't need more firefighters. We need to follow the guidance of the study that has been proposed before we even consider hiring more people!

2. The next jeer makes us wonder... what in the world are the FFD Commissioners up to? See this resolution: RESOLUTION FOR DEFENSE AND INDEMNIFICATION. Now, yes, we fully admit we are looking through a critical lens with our knowledge of how.. fishy... these commissioners can be. But what are the commissioners up to that all of the sudden they are proposing a "get-out-of-jail-free" card?

3. Finally, nothing is more bizarre than this resolution: AMENDMENT TO 2021 FISHERS FIRE DISTRICT BUDGET TO ALLOW TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR CAPITAL FIRE EQUIPMENT - RADIO EXPENDITURES. In case you weren't aware, the FFD already has budgeted for capital fire equipment (see their own budget). Given these are... RADIOS, why do we need to transfer funds from the unassigned fund balance? Seems like the Fishers commissioners are simply out to play around with our money only to make it appear that they need more.

We cannot state this enough, we need YOU, the taxpayers to attend these meetings to ensure that the commissioners are representing their tax-paying citizens. This meeting will take place TOMORROW at 6:30 pm, at 380 High St, Victor, NY. We hope to see you there!

Latest Updates 3/18/2021

**We would like to make a correction to our March update.  We apologize for any confusion we might have caused.**

Hello Concerned Citizen!

Thank you to all who showed up to Tuesday's Board of Commissioners Meeting. We understand not everyone can attend, so here is your latest update on what happened. It was yet another challenging (fishy?) meeting, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger since you might need it) before you sit down and read this.

• As mentioned, Victor Town Supervisor, Jack Marren, was in attendance and had the privilege of the floor. He's very concerned about the ongoing crisis of recruiting volunteers across the county and was seeking support from the Fishers Commissioners to back a resolution to explore a county-wide solution. 

  • He shared our concern about transparency within the district and encouraged the Commissioners to be more open to hearing what the public wants and putting it into action. 

• What seemed like a great start to the meeting, quickly went downhill. There were three resolutions up for approval (putting up the Chief's reports and full resolutions on the Fishers Fire District website, as well as publishing meeting minutes in a timely fashion) from Commissioner Hogan that would do just want Supervisor Marren wanted: increase transparency and instill trust in our Fire District. Ultimately, not only did these not get passed, THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET VOTED ON. 

  • Only Commissioner Hogan motioned to send it to a vote, and since there was not second motion, there was no vote. It could not be more clear, Commissioners Fischer, Mann, Johnson, and Skidmore do NOT care about informing the public or even involving them in decisions that we should be privy to. So much for trust and transparency.

• At this point, if you're not infuriated, keep reading, because it only gets...fishier (I know, how is that possible? Somehow, it is). Another resolution that was on the table for Tuesday was "AUTHORIZATION TO HIRE ONE REPLACEMENT FIREFIGHTER". Great, just what we need, more taxpayer money going to firefighters that we don't need (and can we circle back to why we can't seem to get volunteers?). Thank you to those who were there who shared and expressed this view!

  • But it gets better. Not only did the Commissioners want to hire one firefighter, Commissioner Skidmore stated that it was actually TWO firefighters that they wanted to hire. Um, what? That was NOT on the meeting agenda.

  • Do you know what was also NOT on the meeting agenda? That apparently "Authorization to hire" means that the Commissioners only wanted to identify and interview candidates. Yes, you read that right. It is now known that the Commissioners get their OWN modified agendas and resolutions that are not made available to the public.

  • The public made it clear that they do NOT wish the relieve firefighters of their duties or violate the NFPA standards, but if natural attrition occurs, let's use that as an opportunity to SAVE taxpayer money!

  • A discussion took place regarding buying land for a new firehouse.  The statement was made that since the public found out about the land purchase the price of the land would be driven up by this disclosure.  The statement was also made that the public should not feel bad that this purchase was being kept secret because the intent was to keep the price down, and ultimately a referendum (permissive) would be required for approval.  The public responded that any discussions this large ARE a matter of public concern and should be discussed.  During the meeting, taxpayers made it clear: "We don't want to buy land for a fire station,  We don't want a new fire station."

• Just in case you're still trying to get your jaw off of the ground, here is a quick recap:

  • The public made it clear Tuesday night that they have very simple demands:

    • Resolutions should be reviewed by the public before the meetings occur... and we want to see what the board does, not some watered-down version.

    • We want more transparency. It cannot be that hard to post resolutions, reports, and minutes to the website. Oh, and can the Commissioners please STOP passing resolutions after executive sessions when the public has left?

    • We want the wording to reflect that the board will not be HIRING but to INTERVIEW only.

    • Last... stop with the secrets! No new firehouse, WE DON'T NEED IT.

  • Commissioner Hogan had put forth three resolutions that would allow for more transparency and hopefully start to regain the public's trust. They could not be voted on since no other Commissioner decided to second the motion.

  • Supervisor Marren is working on a county-wide initiative. Not only that, he expects and is asking for more from our Board. More transparency. More listening to the citizens of Fishers. More honesty.

Latest Updates 3/15/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen-

Tomorrow night is a BIG night. It's another Fishers Commissioner Meeting and we hope to see you there on Tuesday, March 16th at 6:30 pm at Fire Station #2.  If we want to reduce our taxes and truly understand what is going on in our fire district, it is important that represent and SHOW UP! 

What's in store for tomorrow? As mentioned, on Sunday nights, the FFD releases its agenda for the upcoming meeting, so we have those details now. Tomorrow night, we have the Victor Supervisor speaking, some MAJOR resolutions being put forth (at last) and so much more going on. Check out the whole agenda here, or keep scrolling for some quick information. You WON'T want to miss this meeting... bring a friend, too!

• First and foremost, Victor Town Supervisor, Jack Marren will be in attendance and have the privilege of the floor. We're excited to hear about a unique plan he is working on and proposing to the Board of Commissioners!

  • It is EXTREMELY important that taxpayers come to listen to what Supervisor Marren will say.

• Next, it looks like the FFD is putting forth resolutions that will benefit us, the taxpayers. This includes three major efforts: a resolution to provide timely meeting min, a resolution to provide timely chief reports and resolution for public notification of proposed resolutions.

• Something else that we want to keep an eye on is this resolution:  Addition of additional monthly meetings of board of fire commissioner meetings. This might mean that instead of one monthly meeting, there might be two monthly meetings. 

• Finally, it appears as though Commissioner Fischer, "...will be attending the meeting via video-conference... and will be participating as a voting Board member during this meeting." This is interesting. So if a board member can video conference in, does that mean we're working on technology to ensure that the public can attend any meeting virtually, too? We're looking forward to hearing where the developments are with this.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night at 6:30 pm, Fire Station #2.

Latest Updates 2/21/2021

Hello Concerned Citizen!

As you recall, there was a Board of Commissioners Meeting this past Tuesday, February 16th. As promised, we're here to update you on everything we've learned.

Before we get started, we hope you'll appreciate our new colors. This blue email will serve more as an update- pre-meeting agendas, post-meeting thoughts, etc. They will come out pretty regularly based on those items: pre-meeting agendas are currently posted the Sunday night before a meeting (so likely you won't hear from us until the Monday or Tuesday the day of the meeting), and we promise within a week of a Tuesday meeting you'll hear from us again (likely the following weekend). Red emails will be reserved for breaking news, based on FOIL requests, informed sources, or pieces of information that come about not revealed through the commissioner's meetings themselves.

So, let's dive into what we learned this past Tuesday!

1. As we expected (but couldn't reveal until we got the facts), Commissioner Hogan did indeed try to bring up her communication resolutions, but they were tabled by the other commissioners and lawyer to ensure that they were legally sound. We look forward to seeing them at the March meeting!

2. Many of you have been asking about how to attend a meeting if the weather is bad or you simply cannot make it (or you know... Covid-19 is still around). Commissioner Hogan brought up in "New Business" that she was exploring options with a state-approved video conferencing vendor -- something we are in full support of. Just because you can't make a meeting doesn't mean you should have to wait 6 weeks to get any sense of what happened!

   • This will be something to keep our eyes on, as we learned in this month's meeting that the other 3 commissioners (Fischer was absent) voted to remove Commissioner Hogan of her IT responsibilities... As a result, Commissioner Johnson will be responsible for making this happen.

   • Speaking of which, you can finally find the January minutes HERE.

3. Something VERY concerning brought up by Commissioner Skidmore is that the FFD is apparently working on a secret operation regarding some sort of (different?) ambulance service. According to him, something will "come out" in the future. Commissioner Skidmore went on to say that, "You don't necessarily play your hand out in front of the public when there are things going on in the background." But, "... at some point in the future, we will divulge the agreement that we have come to. But at this particular time, watch the local news."

   • Yes... the FFD is working on some kind of agreement to further ambulance service. What exactly, we don't know. FFD (according to the commissioners), has asked, but not received a plan from VFVAC.

   • This could VERY well mean that they (FFD) are planning on dealing with someone else so FFD can continue to justify their existence in the EMS business ($$$).

   • Let's be very clear, it appears they are YET AGAIN trying to keep this from the public. We're not privy to what's going on, a public forum to contribute ideas to the plan, and if the past is any precedence, we could very well see this passed after an executive session when no members of the public are present (as done in the December meeting).

4. In the spirit of open, honest communication, some commissioners were visibly and vocally upset about the number of FOIL requests that they have been getting. They are contracting their lawyer to review every one of them, so not surprisingly, it's going to be expensive.

   • We might suggest that they, the FFD, just release the PUBLIC information on their website. Citizens have a RIGHT to this information, so we will continue to FOIL for anything and everything we want access to in order to make sure nothing fishy is going on. No longer will we remain silent. 

5. Last, speaking of expensive, isn't it getting expensive serving the Victor community, in addition to ours, too? I'll answer that for you, it's costing us, the FFD taxpayers, almost $300,000 a year ($5,500 per call x 53 calls in 2020). So why aren't we charging VFD for our fire service? As much as I stand by "love thy neighbor" I'd love it if Victor Fire District would help us reduce our taxes by paying for our helpful fire service instead of taking advantage of our free service.

   • This was asked in Tuesday's meeting and it comes down to... drumroll... it's too political. Yes. The commissioners would rather the Chiefs work that out between themselves. But hey... that sounds easier than another round of resolutions so we look forward to seeing how Chief Chapman plans on collecting this money from future calls in his March Chief's Report!

Have something you think we'd like to hear? We've received some awesome suggestions from our fellow citizens. Rest assured we WILL listen to you and your concerns. We WILL do everything we can to shine a light on our district. We CANNOT keep our ELECTED officials in check withoutour support. Email us any time at ffdfacts@gmail.com

– FFD Facts Admin Team

December 15th, 2020 Meeting

Let's take a quick dive into this meeting... something seems... fishy. (Click here for the official minutes)

Don't you just love it when the board goes into executive session for a half-hour, so that they can make the public wait around (or better yet, leave so they can do some shady things without anyone present)? Turns out, the board of commissioners went into session at 8:07pm and didn't come out until 8:35pm. Was anyone still around to hear the following?  The answer to that is Debra Hogan (then a taxpayer only) stayed to hear the resolutions regarding the run-off elections and then left.  None of the Commissioners bothered to mention that there was still business they planned on conducting.  So the following resolutions were not seen by the public, given input by the public and voted on without the public present.

RESOLUTION #162-20 APPROVAL OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, ARTICLE 16 – MINIMUM STAFFING 

Yes. This is exactly what you think it is. While we're over here trying to reduce costs, the FFD Commissioners made it nearly impossible to make changes to staffing levels until the end of the union contract (12/31/2023). The union contract previously did not specify the number of firefighters required.  This was an area Commissioner Hogan wanted to discuss/explore.  From what we understand (a FOIL request has been made) on December 15, FFD Commissioners agreed to adjust the union contract requiring FIVE firefighters on every team (plus a lieutenant). This commits FFD to a minimum of 25 employees for the next 3 years.  WOWZA.  This was approved 4-0 by Fischer, Johnson, Marasco & Skimore (Mann absent)

RESOLUTION #164-20 APPROVAL OF AMENDED EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT FOR CHIEF DANIEL CHAPMAN

You best believe that we are FOILing this. While we can not definitively say what's going on with this, our hunch is that we're (yet again) INCREASING Chief Chapman's salary. And probably his benefits as well.  As if $127,500 plus benefits is not enough! This was approved 4-0 by Fischer, Johnson, Marasco & Skimore (Mann absent)

Attachments.

The meeting minutes indicate that there should be attachments at the end of it. We see none. Is FFD trying to make it harder for tax-paying citizens to see crucial information?

Did we mention, NEITHER OF THESE WAS ON THE AGENDA? Weird, right? Keep the meeting late after the 8:30pm scheduled time. Bring new items up that benefit... well you know who. (See the meeting agenda here)