Finances, volunteer relations on fire commissioners minds

Candidates vying for a fire commissioner spot in Spokane County’s Fire District No. 8 are focused on finances, and interaction between volunteer and paid firefighters.

Incumbent Gregory A. Hesse, 58, and James Oberst, 60, are running for the third commissioner position. The elected official will join commissioners Lee Boling and Ken Kessler. Commissioners serve a six-year term.

The diverse district covers a combination of farm, residential and rural areas including Moran Prairie, parts of Ponderosa and Bella Vista, Valleyford and Saltese.

Fire District No. 8 is a combination of about 14 paid firefighters, not including management, and 60 volunteers.

“In a community like ours we rely on the volunteers,” Oberst said, who says one of his goals if elected is to help foster good relations between the paid and volunteer firefighters.

“I want to make sure the volunteers stay on with the department and that they are treated as equal firefighters,” the former volunteer firefighter said. “Fire Chief Bill Walkup is making this happen. I want to keep it going.”

Oberst was a volunteer for 29 years and a battalion chief for 24 years.

Hesse spent 33 years in the fire service before he was elected as a commissioner for the fire district in 2000.

“When you are elected as a commissioner, it takes about three to five years to learn how things work,” Hesse said. “But with my experience, I have a lot to offer.”

Hesse and Oberst are on opposite sides when it comes to Spokane County Fire District No. 8 proposition No. 1, which is on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election. The levy lift would raise the taxes for homeowners in the fire district from about $1.24 per $1,000 of assessed home value to about $1.50 per $1,000.

“We’re at the point where we’ve been going backward financially,” Hesse said regarding his support of the initiative. “We can’t survive on a 1 percent increase a year, no business can.”

Oberst said he doesn’t think the “lid lift is necessary at this time.”

The candidates agreed on one aspect regarding the commissioner race. Campaign sign thefts have been high.

“I’ve got a campaign staff that put out at least 250 signs,” Hesse said. “I’ve probably had about 50 to 60 signs stolen.”

“I purchased 300 signs,” Oberst said. “And there are only about 200 still out there, because the rest of mine have been stolen, misplaced or whatever.”

Neither man pointed the finger at each other, but they aren’t so sure their supporters are innocent.