The president of Inverness has reached out to both the Barrington Countryside FPD and the Palatine Rural FPD, urging them to establish an agreement that would allow the PRFPD to cover all areas of Inverness, including sections currently within the BCFPD's jurisdiction. This issue has caught the attention of The Daily Herald, which recently published an updated report.
In the report, Village President Jack Tatooles reiterated his stance, pushing the Barrington Countryside trustees to consider a deal enabling the Palatine Rural FPD to take over the western part of Inverness. However, both fire districts seem hesitant about finding common ground due to financial concerns. "I don't think we'll reach a compromise," stated Palatine Rural President Glen Grosch during a recent meeting. He emphasized that while he, as a board member, cannot alter fire district boundaries, citizen-led referendums might be the way forward.
This discussion took place as Barrington Countryside trustees, Paul Heinze and Marvin Hill, held a community briefing to discuss the implications of their separation from the Barrington Fire Department earlier this year. While other communities, such as Lake Barrington and South Barrington, raised questions about response times and staffing, none were as focused as Tatoolles' push for collaboration between the two fire districts.
If an agreement were to be reached, it would mean mutual assistance between the fire districts, prioritizing the nearest station for emergency responses. According to Tatoolles, the Palatine Rural station is just 1.5 miles from Inverness' western boundary, whereas Barrington Countryside's stations are farther away—5 miles at Station 2 in Barrington Hills and 7 miles at Station 3 in Lake Barrington.
However, the feasibility of such an agreement hinges largely on resolving a disagreement over how much property tax revenue Palatine Rural would receive. Grosch disclosed that Palatine Rural has declined any paid-on-call arrangement, insisting instead on securing a significant portion of Barrington Countryside's property taxes for that part of Inverness. He compared this to similar agreements Palatine Rural has with the Palatine and Rolling Meadows fire departments, which provide coverage for distant parts of their district. Although the specifics haven't been finalized, Grosch suggested that any deal would follow a similar model.
While there's optimism among some residents for a resolution, others remain skeptical. Some believe that without substantial changes, the status quo will persist unless altered through a public vote. As discussions continue, it remains to be seen whether these two fire districts can bridge their financial differences to form a cooperative partnership that benefits everyone involved.
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