This letter is an endorsement of my support for Jerry Galland for South King Fire and Rescue board of commissioners position 1.

Jerry Galland wants to bring transparency and accountability to the board, which is something his opponent seemingly has failed to do the 12 years he has served on the board. In this campaign as well as in previous campaigns, Galland has walked the neighborhoods, getting out his message on what changes he would bring to the board.

During both elections, Galland has visited my house personally and dropped off literature when I wasn’t home. In the two terms that Galland’s opponent has served, not once did I see campaign literature left on my porch as to why I should vote for him. Nor has there been any information on how the fire district is spending the public’s money.

The only time I have seen Galland’s opponent in public is when he was sign waving on 312th Street and Dash Point Road in late September. I’ve seen Galland sign waving on multiple occasions in various locations around the city. This shows me that Galland is attempting to be more accessible than his opponent and is more willing to reach out to the citizens of Federal Way while trying to address their concerns.

Also, I admire the fact that Galland has attended the board meetings so religiously (without pay, mind you) while trying to decipher how the board is spending the public’s money. This shedding of light on how the board is not being a good steward of public funds seems to have irritated Galland’s opponent to the point where he has questioned Galland’s integrity.

I guess if I wanted to learn more about Galland’s opponent, then I should attend more meetings than just the one I’ve attended to see how the fire district is really handling the public’s business. The time of these meetings during the week in the early afternoon, however, make it nearly impossible for one to attend the meetings in person. Lastly, it seems that SKFR under Gates’ leadership has put forth a levy the past three elections, asking the taxpayers of Federal Way to fund various projects.

Knowing that these have been hard financial times for many of Federal Way’s residents, why has the board under Gates’ leadership had such an insatiable appetite for more funds from the public trough? It must be nice to be an incumbent who is paid by the taxpayers, who can rely on name recognition, and a larger campaign budget so he doesn’t have to actively campaign and persuade the voters that he is the better candidate for the job. Please join me in voting for Jerry Galland for SKFR board of commissioners position 1.

Dan Miller, Federal Way