Four vie for three Georgetown Fire District board seats

In the local race for Georgetown Fire Board of Directors, four local residents are vying for three seats in the Nov. 6 General Election. Three of the candidates running for office are incumbents with one challenger. In the end, the three with the most votes win.

Retired fire captain Craig Wayland Davis, a Georgetown resident for the past 22 years, is challenging one of those seats. Capt. Davis has been fighting fires in Georgetown for 21 years. Within Georgetown Fire District he has served on performance review boards, policy boards, and every strike team. He was unofficial acting fire chief until he was forced into early retirement as a result of knee injuries.

Experience on other boards include service as vice president of St. James Society at St. James Catholic Church, and also formerly vice president of Bear State Property Owners Association.

“I wasn’t really ready to retire,” he said. “I still think I can bring something to the community. I thought I’d try the (Georgetown Fire) board. I figure I can help bring Georgetown Fire into the future.”

Incumbent Brook Rother is a ceramic tile contractor and a Georgetown resident for the past 24 years. He has been a volunteer firefighter working with Georgetown Fire since 2003. Rother also builds and restores full-size antique railroad equipment. His board experience consists of six years serving on Georgetown Fire District Board, and other board experience in the Bay Area with the Historical Rail Road Society.

“I think the job does take time and does take effort,” he said. “You can’t please everybody all the time. I’m a very strong believer of not overextending the department monetarily, (so) one of my main goals in working for the community is to keep the fire department in the best shape we possibly can. I believe we offer a very good service and one that I’m proud of.”

Incumbent Rod Williams is a Greenwood rancher and has lived in the local community for the past 13 years. He moved from the Bay Area where he ran a small business.  Williams began his entrance position as a volunteer firefighter in 1996. Currently he serves as an engineer at Station 64.

“Because of my business and firefighting experience I believe I am well qualified to remain on the board,” he said. “For the past three years the board, as currently constituted, together with Chief (Greg) Schwab has guided Georgetown Fire successfully through difficult financial times. Georgetown Fire continues to serve this community with a high level of expertise. I hope to continue in my dual capacity in the future.”

Incumbent Patti Smith is a lifetime resident of the Divide, and local realtor. She brings an outside perspective to the board necessary for public clients to be fully represented. She has been running a very successful real estate business on the Divide for nearly two decades. Smith has been a member of Georgetown Fire Board for more than five years.

“My five years on the board has allowed me to obtain the experience necessary to guide policy for an outstanding organization that is dedicated to providing the best service possible to the community,” she said. “My educational background and experience in managing my own business has provided me with the fiscal and management skills necessary for success. Too often, governmental organizations lose sight of sound business practices and end up being less efficient and effective than they could be. In these trying economic times, it is important to provide the best service possible with the funds available. I and the other members of our board have always had that objective as our highest priority.”

Also up for election and running unopposed is Larry Anderson who was appointed to the board earlier this year. Unopposed, Anderson wins his seat by default and is not on the ballot. His seat, along with Gary Richardson’s, will be up for election for their four-year term in 2014.