[VIDEO] Councilors, Fire Commissioners Spar Over Merger
While Fire Commissioner Bill Daly called for a task force to study merging with the town, Council President Michael Isaacs said the voters had spoken.
Here are video clips from Monday's meeting between the East Greenwich Fire District and the EG Town Council as they discussed how to go forward following a vote last November calling for the EGFD to be merged with the town.
To read a full account of the meeting, click here.
EC
12:28 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
You tell 'em, councilors!
Emilio DiSpirito
1:05 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
We see hard working families on a daily basis loosing the right to buy a home, not because they can't afford the mortgage but because taxes are an OUTRAGE. The people of East Greenwich have already spoken. I commend the people of East Greenwich for understanding that the over taxation of larger government is bad for us all. We can solve so many more problems by limiting the government and not the people.
Patch reader
3:17 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How can Councilor Gee be a Fire Commissioner also? Just doesn't seem right.
Also, the commissioners truly need to see the goings on of the EDFD. It seems that they have no idea of what is happening behind the scenes on a day to day basis under their watch! There are so many peculiariaties, from the front office being closed during regular business hours, to the amount of grievances filed in the recent past, How is it allowed that a member of the FD is able to borrow a generator for personal use during a storm? This kingdom is running itself and needs to be reigned in sooner than later.
Reply
Heather Larkin
4:25 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Where did the concept of a Fire District as a separate entity from the town come from?
Emilio DiSpirito
4:44 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Heather, I believe we have had a fire district in East Greenwich for over 200 years.
Heather Larkin
6:36 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
But why was it not part of town government from the beginning? Did all towns/villages have a Fire District and most have just phased it out by now? So many questions!
Elizabeth McNamara
6:51 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Good question on the origin, Heather. I'm not sure about the timing of the establishment of the town and the fire district. Help us Alan Clarke or some other history buff!
Chuck Newton
9:42 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
There is a broad historic overview of the East Greenwich Fire District on the EGFD website - www.egfiredistrict.net/DistrictHistory.pdf