Still playing games

Dear Mike:
I am writing this letter in exasperation in response to the press release issued from town council at Monday night’s meeting. I am a member of the Fort Frances Volunteer Fire Brigade and we have been sent in circles by the mayor and council of this town.
The mayor and council seem to feel that the cost of the fire and rescue service is $2.52 per $1,000 of assessment as being too high. But the assessed value of a property is to calculate your taxes. How can council say that they are spending $2.52 of an estimated figure?
The brigade asked for justification of this figure a month ago and still have received no answer.
In comparing us to other communities’ fire departments, mayor and council are not comparing apples to apples. In their press release they state that the Dryden department runs with only three full-time firefighters. What they fail to mention is that the Dryden mill has its own fire department of 30 trained individuals.
They compare us to Atikokan while failing to mention that, in the past year, some insurance rates there have increased 300 percent!
Furthermore, there was no consultation with the Fort Frances Professional Firefighters Association. Council continues to mislead the public that our fire department has been involved with their decision-making process.
In closing, I suggest that council get their quotes straight. They said that Fire Chief Steve Richardson “reassured citizens of Fort Frances that fire services are being maintained.”
To the best of my knowledge, Chief Richardson has never said such a thing. He is quoted several times out of context.
It just proves once again that the mayor and council are still playing games with the safety of the residents and volunteer firefighters of Fort Frances.
Signed,
Kayne Shaw
Fort Frances, Ont.