Support local fire departments

One thing is certain as the Flathead Valley grows: Rural fire departments are running hard to keep up with the demands on their services.

Smith Valley and West Valley volunteer firefighters do more than fight fires. They show up for traffic accidents and other emergencies, quite often the first at the scene to render aid and handle traffic.

Both departments are asking voters for extra funding this year.

Smith Valley, which responds to about 300 calls per year, asks for a $1.5 million bond issue for a new fire hall and equipment. The department has outgrown its Whalebone Drive hall and hopes to build on land it bought on Wettington Drive.

A new water tender and another engine would serve the community well. Total cost: about $33 per year for 20 years on a home with a $150,000 taxable value.

In addition, West Valley voters will decide on a seven-mill increase to update equipment and eventually build a third fire hall on the north side of the district. The levy will generate $80,000 to $90,000 and will cost about $22 per year for owners of homes valued at $100,000.

The money will offset operating costs and establish a fund for replacing vehicles, including a 1973 water tender. West Valley is also creeping up on 300 calls per year.

The money for both departments will serve the people who pay it.

Support your fire departments. You never know when you'll need them.

Whitefish voters will decide next week whether the town's mayor should be elected for four years at a crack instead of two. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but if approved the change would be historic. Whitefish has had a two-year mayoral term since the town was incorporated in 1905.

The Whitefish government-review study commission suggested the City Council pursue a ballot measure for a longer term on the premise that two years is barely enough time to learn about the job in a high-growth city such as Whitefish. That makes sense.

Coordinating the term length with the four-year council terms will bring a higher degree of continuity and stability to a group of elected officials who certainly have their work cut out for them in the coming years.