The following is an excerpt from an article published in the Daily Herald earlier this week.
St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte expressed strong concerns on Monday about the newly formed Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District, calling its future uncertain and potentially disastrous. According to DeWitte, the district’s financial structure and promises of improved emergency response times don’t add up.
“We believe these are major decisions that were made without enough consideration,†DeWitte said. “They seem poorly thought out, and we’re worried that the end result will be worse service for the residents who have relied on us for decades.â€
He added, “This is going to be a slow-motion collapse. We’ll be watching it unfold, and it won’t end well.â€
Mayor DeWitte and St. Charles Fire Chief Pat Mullen argue that the main issue lies with the fire district’s extremely low tax rate—just 19 cents per $100 of assessed value—which is one-third of what neighboring districts charge. This, they say, is not enough to sustain the level of service residents expect.
“They have a revenue problem, not an expense problem,†DeWitte explained. “The budget just doesn’t support the level of protection people want.â€
The fire district is set to sign a contract with American Emergency Services, a company based in Wheaton, to provide both firefighters and paramedics at an estimated cost of $1.7 million annually. However, DeWitte and Mullen remain skeptical due to the high costs of building two new fire stations and the uncertainty surrounding personnel expenses in the second year of the contract.
During a meeting, Mullen presented a map showing where the new firehouses would be located—on the far southwest and northeast edges of the district. He argued that this placement could actually lead to longer response times for many residents, especially those in areas that previously had quick access to emergency services through St. Charles.
Additionally, the district’s limited number of fire stations and large geographic area make it vulnerable during multiple simultaneous emergencies. A GIS-based analysis from the city predicts that the station near South Elgin could take up to 16 minutes to reach the Kane County Judicial Center in an emergency.
Beyond the operational concerns, DeWitte also highlighted the financial burden this new district places on the Tri-Cities. With the separation from St. Charles and the Tri-City Ambulance Service, each community now faces higher costs for emergency medical services. For example, St. Charles alone is expected to cover an additional $200,000 in expenses.
You can read the full article here.
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