The Silverton-Deer Park joint fire district will go into its third year of operating out of the same building as a joint district next year, after some political fallout.

        This will be the first election since the district was approved by an overall vote between the two cities, 2,202 to 1,778 in 1999. Silverton voters approved it, but Deer Park voters rejected the district, 1,106 to 998.

        But then, the Deer Park City Council stuck by an agreement that stipulated that if total votes between both cities favored the district, it would go into effect.

        “I was one of the council members who voted to stick by the agreement even though Deer Park voters had rejected the district,” said Cindy Gifford-McKinney. “Both cities had operated jointly for five or six years anyway. It was just a matter of making it an official joint district.

        Mrs. Gifford-McKinney was defeated in the November election along with incumbent Democrats Pamela Akdins, George Diersing and Harvey Alcorn. All favored the district. Democratic newcomers Mike Hammond, Patrick Bowes and Mary Lenihan were also defeated.

        Deer Park elected an all-Republican council, and no Democrats filed for this year's election. The only Republican who voted to override the citizens vote, Sandra Hall, is not running in this election. She is also council's representative on the Joint Fire District Board.

        “Whatever political differences there were don't seem to have affected the operation of the board,” Ms. Hall said. “Although I don't like a one-party council because I think it lacks the checks and balances we need ... the Joint Fire District Board has functioned very well.”

        In Silverton, all Republicans lost except two. The Council representative on the Joint Fire District Board is Democrat Carrie McClemore-Walker.

        “Whatever the feelings in Deer Park were at the time of the vote have not affected the operation of the Joint Fire District,” Mrs. McClemore-Walker said. “This is the best thing that ever happened to both cities.”

        The building was purchased jointly by Deer Park, Silverton and the Joint Fire District Board, with each having an equal financial share.

        “I realize that a lot of Deer Park residents opposed the district, but lately a lot of those people who opposed it have come forward and said how effective the Joint District has been,” said Don Newman, the Joint Fire District chief.

        The district followed a trend locally of fire departments forming joint operations.

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