In Their Own Words: Meet King County Fire Protection District No. 16 Position 1 Incumbent Don Ellis

Editor's note:  Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Patch will be posting Q&As with candidates running for18 offices locally. Twelve of those races are contested and two of them, the mayoral race in Lake Forest Park and Fire Commissioner Position No. 1 in the Northshore Fire District, are contested in the primary Aug. 16.

CANDIDATE PROFILE INFORMATION:

What is your full, legal name?   

Don A. Ellis

Where do you work and what is your job title? 

Self-employed, Certified Fraud Examiner Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

When and Where Were You Born? 

San Francisco, California; 12-19-31

Where do you live now and  how long have you lived there?

Kenmore, Washington. 46 years

Spouse or domestic partner if any:

Judith.

 Children:  

Tim, Steve, Prim, Robin and Kathryn

Education (include graduation date(s), if any):

University of Washington, B.A. ’57, University of Washington, post grad one year-plus, McGill University, one year.

Military Service (include year(s) of discharge, if any):

United States Air Force, Korean Conflict, Honorable Discharge, 1963

Memberships and affiliations with clubs and other organizations:

 Member Disabled American Veterans                                              

Former member Washington Athletic Club,  40 years        

Chair, founding committee Washington State Sewer and Water Insurance Pool                                    

Chair, board of directors Washington State Sewer and Water Insurance  Pool                                      

Voting board member, Washington Governmental  Insurance Pool, 8 years                                                       

Current voting director Washington Cities Insurance Authority, largest pool in the state of Washington      

Have you or a business you owned (or had principal interest in) ever filed bankruptcy? 

No bankruptcies ever

As an adult, have you been convicted or charged with a crime other than a minor traffic violation?  No.

CAMPAIGN INFORMATION:

E-mail ppd5@comcast.net; 425-487-9511

PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE(S):

Commissioner Northshore Utility District

Incumbent King County Fire Protection District No. 16

THIS CAMPAIGN:

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

There are a number of major decisions facing the district.

The thought never entered my mind not to run for re-election. The job is not finished, but then it the job is never finished. The challenges facing Northshore Fire are substantial and unprecedented.

 1. The negotiations with the union firefighters are in mediation, with no resolution in sight.

Interestingly, one of my opponents is a dues paying member of the firefighters union. With over 80 percent of the budget in wages and benefits, our future expenditures are unknown.

2. Chief Weathers is leaving at the end of this year. His replacement is a matter currently before the commissioners.

3. The assessed valuations the district relies on for funding has fallen precipitously in the current economy, with no end in sight. A number of fire agencies are examining working together to share expertise and facilities, to reduce costs and enhance service to the constituencies. 

The declines appear to be continuing, with no sign of a bottom. In 2013 we will lose 5 percent of our district permanently to a Bothell annexation, along with 5 percent of assessed valuation. I serve along with Commissioner Armanini on a finance committee formed to make recommendations to the board and staff to fulfill our obligations to the rate payers, without increasing our assessments.

There have already been substantial operational cost reductions without any layoffs. From here we are crafting two major efforts. 1) Carefully adding to the tax revenues by borrowing funds from reserves; and 2) searching with neighboring agencies for mutual cost saving alliances. Both of these alternatives show promise.

I believe my financial expertise along with my successes in introducing mutually beneficial cooperation between government agencies has benefited the electorate, and reduced costs to the tax payers. At this critical time I intend to be useful for as long as the electorate pleases.

The fire commissioners board is a five member board, three of the remaining four members support my candidacy. Not running for re-election never crossed my mind.

What will be your top three priorities if you get elected and why?

My top three priorities are: 1) to keep the assessment on the property owners at or below the pledged amount of $1.50 per $1,000.00. Even though the funds are diminishing, I don’t believe we should assess more on those of us remaining, many of whom are struggling with finances.  2) Create a plan to spend down reserves over the duration, with an eye towards saving those representing potential current liabilities. 3) Work solidly toward increased cooperation with some neighboring agencies, especially those with similar culture and quality.  

What sets you apart from the other candidates and/or previous office holders?

I have long been an advocate for inter-departmental cooperation to reduce service costs and benefit the rate payers. I was instrumental in taking two separate districts and forming them into one district. The Northeast Lake Washington Sewer District and King County Water District became the Northshore Water District, combining the activities under one management team.   Although the two districts had very similar boundaries, there was not any enabling legislation to complete the process. I travelled to Olympia to lobby for the legislation.

The Northshore Utility District is fortunate to have excellent vehicle repair facilities, and superb mechanics.  When I was notified by the fire district of the difficulty they were experiencing finding adequate repair facilities, I spearheaded an effort to enlist the facility at the utility. This arrangement has proven to be satisfactory for over a decade.      

When a request from Lake Forest Park Chief Dennis Peterson reached me we undertook a similar effort concerning the police vehicles.  My inquiries to the officers as to their satisfaction with their vehicles have always received a favorable reply. My inquiries to the Chief have always resulted in a friendly suggestion it would be best if I didn’t mess it up. Considering the source, I have always taken these suggestions seriously.

I believe my experience and motivation sets me apart from the other candidates. It is a humbling experience to be successful in an election.  It is important to remember your allegiance is to those who are paying the bill and not to special interest group or private agendas.

How much money do you expect your campaign to spend on this election?

I have not determined how much I will spend.  I do not accept contributions. 

What groups or individuals are your major endorsers?

Three of the four seated fellow commissioners support my campaign.

I have not determined how much I will spend.  I do not accept contributions.