YACHATS – The Yachats Rural Fire District is seeking applications for a soon-to-be vacant seat on its five-member board.
Donald Tucker submitted his resignation for health reasons in October but said he would stay on if needed to break a possible tie vote in selecting his replacement. Tucker was first elected in 2019 and would be up for re-election next May.
Someone appointed to replace him would fill the position until next July but would need to run for election in May to continue to serve past that date.
Applications and a general description of the volunteer, unpaid position are on the district’s website. A prospective board member needs to be a registered voter in the district or a property owner in the district.
The district runs from the south edge of Waldport through Yachats, up the Yachats River valley and just south of Cape Perpetua. It has a $2 million yearly budget, 8.5 employees – including six firefighter/paramedics who also staff South Lincoln Ambulance.
Tucker, a retired Tektronix executive, is also a longtime board member of the Southwest Lincoln County Water People’s Utility District, where he will continue to serve. In his resignation letter, Tucker said he joined the Yachats fire board “with little knowledge of the operations of a tax based rural fire protection district. My education has been more than gratifying and I hope in some small way I contributed to the overall goals of the board and the district.”