Former mayor supports levy

Whitefish, your vote is needed to support 24/7 fire and ambulance personnel. After serving on the EMS committee while on the Whitefish City Council, I assure you that the city has looked at every angle of financing to pay for the addition of night-shift emergency staff.

The federal grant we were hopeful for went to other cities with similar needs, and TIF or resort tax funds may not legally be used for staffing.

The proposed levy will be spent exclusively to pay the salaries of the six additional firefighters and paramedics required to give us round-the-clock coverage. The cost to the city taxpayer will be based on the assessed taxable value of your home, not your current resale value.

I purchased my modest home in 1991 for $64,000. Today, it's worth $300,000, yet my taxable value is only $78,000. I will pay $40 annually for the added service. (Yes, those of you who purchased your home recently will have a slightly higher rate. On the high end, a taxable value of $300,000 is still only around $12 per month.)

This, I believe is a great value in regard to our personal protection. Currently, the response time for an emergency occurring between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. averages three minutes. However, the night shift response (from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.), which relies on volunteers and paid staff responding from home, is typically 10 minutes.

A basic first-aid course teaches that an additional seven minutes could mean life or death, as the human brain generally won't survive without oxygen after four to six minutes.

The increased load of nighttime calls is taking its toll on our volunteers, as they have a hard time staying awake for their day job (a big thanks to all who have volunteered).

Please take the time to find your ballot in the mail and vote yes. Call the Flathead County Election Department if you didn't receive your ballot.

In the meantime, I will continue to hope that if unexpectedly one of our friends or family is involved in an emergency, it happens between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Cris Coughlin

Whitefish