• Editor’s Note: The following is a guest essay from Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District Fire Chief Kelly P. Callaghan.

Dear Editor:

Because of the Nov. 4, 2014, referendum, the recently formed Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District has been spending a lot of time defending their fire district in the press. In one of their letters, they stated that “Change tends to bring out strong emotion.” They are correct; change can be quite emotional, especially when that change affects your tax dollars.

Drew Frasz, our Kane County Board representative, stated in a Letter to the Editor, “Many government bodies have struggled with down revenues over the last few years, but hostile takeovers of areas that have been well-served by fiscally responsible agencies is not something I support.” We couldn’t agree more.

Fox River needs to acquire more rooftops to pay off their $4.4 million debt to continue to operate. This disconnection is about money, not public safety. If this were about public safety, as Fox River claims, they wouldn’t have repeatedly tried to stop the Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District from opening a station in Lily Lake to better serve the district. If this were about public safety, they wouldn’t have repeatedly tried to stop the villages of Elburn and Lily Lake from opposing and speaking out against the disconnection and supporting the Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District, which has served and protected their citizens for more than 132 years.

Are you willing to take on Fox River’s $4.4 million in debt? If you choose to disconnect from Elburn Fire, this is exactly what the referendum covers: You are taking on their debt. Eventually you and your hard-earned tax dollars will be called upon to retire that $4.4 million in debt, as well as pay for all the extra equipment and personnel they will need to serve you and your family.

While Fox River continues to acquire more debt and has done so since their inception, Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District has no debt, no hidden costs, and no new taxes. Fox River’s math just doesn’t add up.

Let the facts speak for themselves, and let your voices be heard.

PLEASE VOTE NO on Nov. 4!

Kelly P. Callaghan
Fire Chief, Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection District

Editor’s Notes

• Deadline election-related letters or guest essays. The last day to submit letters to the editor or guest essays regarding an item on the Nov. 4 ballot is noon Thursday, Oct. 30.  Please see this article for more information and remember to participate the spirit of civility outlined in the article. Letters or essays that contain personal attacks, character assassination or inappropriate language will not be published.

• What’s the difference between a guest essay and a letter to the editor? The short answer is: not a whole lot. For submissions to Kane County Connects’ opinion page, we’ll use the “letter to the editor” heading for letters submitted by John or Jane Q. Public, good citizens like you and me. We’ll use the “guest essay” tagline when the text is submitted to Kane County Connects from an elected or appointed official or someone who has a particular level of expertise on a given topic. Letters to the editor and guest essays can be illustrated by one of our opinions logos, a head-and-shoulder shot of the author or an image or graphic depicting the subject matter of the letter or essay.

• Kane County Connects welcomes your opinions. If you have an opinion that is different than the one stated here or would like to submit a letter to the editor on another topic, please send an email to Community Outreach Coordinator Rick Nagel at ricknagel23@gmail.com and include your name, address and telephone number for verification. All letters must be signed with the first and last name of the letter writer. For more information on the ground rules, see this article.