Fliers enflame interest in ballot proposal

BIG LAKE — A flier circulated by someone calling him or herself a concerned resident of Meadow Lakes is blasting the Mat-Su Borough’s Proposition 6, which would unify the Big Lake and Meadow Lakes fire service areas.

Whoever distributed the flier didn’t include identification, but did include a very pointed attack on Big Lake Fire Chief Bill Gamble.

“Bill Gamble, chief of Big Lake Fire Department, wants to spend your tax dollars in Big Lake,” the flier says.

Gamble did not return calls seeking comment by press time.

The flier goes on to say the fire service area will not change service in Meadow Lakes and claims Gamble is “trying to build an empire” in Big Lake.

It also inaccurately says Big Lake’s Insurance Services Office rating, which comes from a company that rates risk, is 10, which is low. The rating is actually an 8b, the same as Meadow Lakes, according to the Mat-Su Borough.

The Borough, for its part, isn’t taking sides.

Borough Manager John Duffy said officials are neutral on the issue of merging the fire service areas and won’t endorse the proposition either way.

“Members of the public have a right of expressing their opinions,” Duffy said.

But Wes Hamrick, president of the Big Lake Fire Service Board, said the flier is disturbing and the wrong action to take, and much of what’s said on the two-page document is not true.

The flier’s distribution prompted Hamrick to notify the city of Houston, the Borough, Attorney General Talis Colberg and the U.S. Postal Service. Part of its distribution included being placed in area mailboxes.

Hamrick is also concerned because a logo with the Republican Party’s insignia appears on the flier urging a no vote on Proposition 6. When the flier began circulating, officials from the Meadow Lakes fire department began investigating, he said.

Hamrick claims an official from Meadow Lakes Fire Department followed Houston Fire Department Chief Tom Hood, who was caught putting the flier in open mailboxes.

That’s not true, Hood said Thursday.

“I didn’t put fliers in any mailbox,” Hood said, adding a group of Meadow Lakes residents delivered them.

Hood made clear that in his position in Houston, he is completely neutral on Proposition 6.

“I have no position on this issue as the fire chief nor does the city of Houston,” Hood said.

Hamrick said he still doesn’t know who wrote the flier and it appears Hood is being set up as a fall guy. Hood also said he has no idea who published the fliers.

Proposition 6 will be decided during municipal elections on Tuesday.

Hamrick said residents and others in the community have been largely supportive of the proposition, which will allow both fire departments to officially act as one. Unifying departments usually takes place when two fire service areas can provide more efficient, cost-effective service over individual departments, Hamrick said.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.