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Incumbents face off in Fire District 5 race Kittie Harrison, left, Terry Helfrich, Vicki Purslow and Bill Robertson Thursday Apr 27, 2017 at 6:13 PM Apr 27, 2017 at 7:01 PM Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune TALENT — Two incumbent Jackson County Fire District 5 board members are running for the same seat, while two other candidates are squaring off for a second seat in the May 16 special election. One incumbent is running unopposed, and all terms are for four years starting July 1. The races come at a time when the district faces challenges. A search is underway for a new chief to replace the former chief, who has filed a tort claim with the district alleging violations of contract and state and federal laws. In March the board voted to put a new chair in place, and the district’s longtime legal counsel was terminated. Two administrators submitted resignations in March, but then rescinded them when asked to stay. The board has seen frequent turnover as members elected or appointed to positions resign before the end of terms. Current board Chair Vicki Purslow, who is unopposed for Position 5, said background checks on a potential new chief are underway, and she may be able to announce a selection in the middle of May. The candidate has not been made public. Position 3 incumbent Bill Robertson, who has served on the board for 21 years, is opposed by Terry Helfrich, who was appointed to the Position 4 vacancy in March. Position 4 is being contested by Kittie Harrison and Mike Davis. Robertson in the Voter’s Pamphlet states displeasure that Helfrich wouldn’t reveal who asked him to seek the spot during the selection process. Robertson has been at times a controversial figure — he was removed from his chairman position by other board members earlier this year after accusations that he had berated employees, he opposed the seating of another elected board member in 2013 because her son was a firefighter with the district, and he was a leader of the opposition to a district equipment levy in 2012. “I just got a lot of feedback from the community members that don’t agree with Bill Robertson and how he has handled himself in that position,” said Helfrich. Community, staff and firefighters are uneasy with the lack of stability on the board, said Helfrich. He’s concerned that the district legal expenses are 100 percent over budget in the current fiscal year. “It wasn’t just phone calls. There’s a lot of people I talked to that are just not happy with the way things have been happening down there,” said Helfrich, a former Phoenix city councilor. “You’ve got staff that quit. You’ve got firefighters that are looking for jobs in other districts.” Robertson was replaced by Purslow as board chair during March. He said he’d like to see everyone be able to access district public records and recordings of meetings through the district website without having to submit written requests. Robertson also said the district should look at adding to its equipment reserve, but next year’s budget as proposed makes no additions. He was critical of raises planned for personnel, and said that increases given to district personnel over the years have exceeded the rate of inflation. In the Position 4 race, however, Mike Davis praised the district operations. “I would just like to maintain the current standards. It has been a great department,” said Davis, who has owned and operated SOS Plumbing for 37 years. Experience with his company, which has personnel and equipment levels similar to the district, will be an asset in helping to make decisions on district business, Davis said. Department personnel visits to his home and at work sites always have been professional and informative, he said, and he wants to maintain that level of interaction with the community. Harrison has attended board meetings recently. She is part of the leadership group for the Ashland-based Community Emergency Response Team. She served on the Talent Parks and Recreation Commission for two years. She said she wants to reduce the micromanaging by the board and let the hired professionals do their jobs. “People are asking, ‘What are you going to change?’ I’m hoping to bring it back to where all we do is direct the chief and pay attention to how they are spending the money and developing policies,” said Harrison. “I want the employees to want to stay. They do a lot for our community, and I want them to be happy where they work.” — Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].