About
What Is A Special Purpose District?
Special Purpose Districts exist to deliver reliable, high-quality services locally. They function like a city, but only for essential services — focused on results, not bureaucracy.
Residents fund these systems through local taxes and elect local boards to oversee how resources are used. That model keeps services focused, responsive, and accountable.
Consolidation replaces local accountability with centralized county control — expanding bureaucracy and redistributing locally funded assets.
The Concern
If It's Working
Why Change It?
Local fire districts are working well and see no clear need for major change. Consolidation doesn’t fix a proven failure. It creates new strain — and new risk — without guaranteed benefit.
Loss Of Local
Control
Consolidation removes locally governed boards and places decisions under County Council.
That means local taxpayers lose direct oversight of:
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Where equipment is deployed
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How staffing is prioritized
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Whether local needs come first
Once control is centralized, it is far harder for communities to protect their investments.
Increased Cost &
Bureaucracy
Bigger systems don’t create more resources.
They add:
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More administrators more full time employees
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More layers of decision-making
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Increased demand for limited safety assets
Efficiency is promised. Government growth is guaranteed.
Risk To Service
Quality
Reliable service depends on having resources nearby and available.
Under consolidation, equipment and personnel funded by local residents can be reassigned elsewhere — leaving fewer resources available for local calls.
When emergencies happen, every second matters.
Stretching local resources thinner does not improve safety.
It puts it at risk.