It wasn’t for poor performance, retirement age or moving out of the district, but in the last two months, all three South Summit fire commissioners resigned their posts.
It is against state statute for commissioners to earn more than $5,000 annually from the district. That essentially bars active firefighters from also serving as commissioners.
As all three South Summit commissioners were active firefighters, this presented a challenge. After an anoymous complaint prompted the involvement of a state agency, the district committed to replacing its commissioners by July.
In March, Dave Ure took over for Kent Leavitt; in April, Julie Black took the place of Jackson Coleman; and on Wednesday, the district finished the changeover by swearing in new Commissioner Tadd Louder, who replaces Craig Fry.
Ure, a former Summit County commissioner and state legislator, now chairs the commission. He said Louder and Black both live in Kamas and have experience as firefighters. Black is a captain in the Sandy City Fire Department.
Ure said Louder was a “gung-ho-er” at the meeting Wednesday and he looks forward to working with him.
Ure said one of the big challenges for the commission will be trying to incorporate emergency medical services in fire district operations. He said it’s going to be hard to find the money to do that without taxing people so much they’ll have to move out of the Kamas Valley.
The South Summit Fire Protection District is an independent entity, unlike the North Summit Fire District, which is overseen by the Summit County Council. In South Summit, commissioners are elected to four-year terms and perform oversight including approving the district’s budget.
Jackson Coleman and Kent Leavitt were elected in 2019 and would have been up for reelection in 2023. Craig Fry would have been up for reelection in 2025. Ure said the district would likely stagger the elections to avoid the whole commission changing at once, again.
Ure said the former commissioners are helping the new officials and working to ensure the district's institutional memory remains intact.
“The three commissioners that we replaced are all still firemen and they're still sitting around the table and giving us advice,” Ure said. “We’re doing things properly, but when I have a question, I pick up the phone and call Kent (Leavitt) or call Craig Fry. I expect them to help us immensely.”
Leavitt remains the district’s fire marshal. Ure said the district especially owes Leavitt a measure of gratitude for his 38 years of service.
