We emailed all the candidates the following questions ….
1) Name 2) Age How long have you lived in Lehigh Acres?
3) Why are you running for the Lehigh Acres Fire Board?
4) Do you believe in the new simplified fee assessment? YES or NO
If Yes WHY? If No how do you fix it?
5) Are you going to take the $500 a month pay and insurance if elected?
Only two candidates answered us … the following refused to fill out a simple questionnaire, Why?
Cathy Kruse, Robert Bennett who are currently on the fireboard spending the taxpayer’s money and Melissa Higens Barry. What are they hiding?
The two that answered us were
Charles Edwards
Age—-62 and have lived here since 2013
Why am I running——1st and foremost, I want to stop all the controversy that has plagued the fire dept since I moved here. 2nd I think there needs to be better scrutiny of Every bill and contract the dept has, and 3rd, I think we need to find an answer to why we can’t attract local people to work at the fire dept, and fix the problems of employee retention.
The new fire fee assessment——- I do believe that we needed a change so the vacant lots were paying a fair fee, and that we need a couple more fire stations. With that being said, I also believe that the $162 maximum needs to be adjusted down a bit when the budget has a surplus, and not just stock pile the taxpayers money. And to inform the public more on the expenses of the dept., and the budget.
On the pay and insurance, I have always said if elected, I would donate my pay to a local charity, as for the insurance, I did plan on taking it, but with some further investigation, I found that it would mess up my companies group plan, I have decided that I will not be taking the fire departments insurance. So if elected, I would derive no financial benefit from the district.
Ron Rankin
2) Age 71 How long have you lived in Lehigh Acres? 7years
3) Why are you running for the Lehigh Acres Fire Board?
To insure we get the best service for our money
4) Do you believe in the new simplified fee assessment? YES or NO
If Yes WHY? I am not sure yet ,it depends for most a lot is described as a 1/4 acre lot,it depends on how the big inverters are taxed
5) Are you going to take the $500 a month pay and insurance if elected? maybe I am not sure I need their insurance.