West Haven group discusses one district

08/23/2006

Marissa Yaremich , Register Staff

WEST HAVEN — A newly formed group, the Citizens in Favor of Fire Consolidation, on Tuesday night launched the first of many meetings intended to discuss all angles of consolidating the city’s three independent fire districts, ultimately putting the question on the November 2007 ballot. Many taxpayers believe nestling the three districts’ personnel, apparatus and other expenses into an umbrella fire department under or separate from the city’s control would result in great cost savings and potentially put a dent in their taxes. The increase in taxes this year, as well as the separate levy for the fire districts, has caused an emotional rift between some taxpayers and fire officials.

"When I say we are going to educate each and every resident, we are going to go door-to-door talking about the pros and cons of consolidation," said the nonpartisan group’s chairman, Paul M. Frosolone, who is also the chairman of the Republican Town Committee. Other founding members of the group are city councilmen from both the Democratic and A Better Future parties, as well as other Republicans.

By educating the public and addressing their outstanding questions on the concept’s intricacies, the groups’s organizers vowed to the roughly 60 curious taxpayers at the City Hall meeting to ascertain enough facts, as well as financial and legal analyses from relevant experts, so taxpayers can obtain about 2,900 signatures by July 2007 to force a referendum vote.

Just what type of consolidation that referendum vote will call for, noted organizer City Councilwoman Sharon Spaziani, D-3, will be determined through a course of monthly meetings with taxpayers and those fire officials and firefighters who would be affected by such a drastic change.

"We are not against the fire departments," she emphasized, referring to the three taxation districts also known as the Allingtown, Center and West Shore fire districts. Each taxpayer pays the respective district of their property’s location in addition to the city’s tax rate.

The city charter precludes the districts from merging under the city’s control though there have been failed past efforts to get the state to enact special legislation to reverse the issue, as well as at least two city charter votes since the 1990s.

The taxpayers’ commentary initially got off to an emotionally rocky start because most can’t fathom why a city of 53,000 people needs to pay for three fire budgets, including triplicate administrative salaries, for a total of more than $20 million annually compared to other towns. New Haven, for example, has 125,000 inhabitants and a fire department that costs $20.5 million annually.

Some taxpayers, like William Kane, noted that this group’s endeavor must also seek out the truth and not the too many "half-truths" that had already infiltrated the meeting because many taxpayers started singling out fire administrator salaries and other expenditures.

"You have to be honest if you’re going to bring this out to the public," Kane said.

Members of a different fire-oriented group, Citizens For an Excellent Fire Service, also showed, including West Shore District Fire Lt. Kevin McKeon. That group formed on Sept. 19, 2003 in opposition to a proposed city charter revision consolidating the districts under the city because some firefighters felt strong-armed. The group doesn’t take an official stand on consolidation though some members, like McKeon, still prefer it to be separate from the city.

Speaking on behalf of some firefighters, McKeon said: "We are not against this meeting here. We want to be included and have our say," said the 27-year firefighter.

Frosolone promised to invite the districts’ fire administrators, Board of Fire Commissioners and other interested parties to participate in future meetings to answer questions from the public.

Many taxpayers said they also want to understand the intricacies of the three district’s unfunded pension liabilities, which as of July 2005 totaled $78.6 million.

In the meantime, the fire officials did not attend, mostly because, according to some, they weren’t formally apprised of the meeting.

Mayor John M. Picard, who said he also wasn’t notified, said he continues to support the views of the Citizens For Excellent Fire Service as he has since 2003, and specifically consolidation separate from the city.

"My stance has not changed," said Picard, who supports the efforts of the Citizens In Favor of Fire Consolidation, and suggested they study every angle of consolidation, as well as the current three-district situation.

The group’s next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 18. in City Hall, 355 Main St.