Monarch Shops Lobbying Associations

Monarch Fire Protection District leaders are shopping for a new statewide partner to represent the group's legislative interests in Jefferson City and to help educate the district.

Monarch's House No. 2, at 18424 Wildhorse Creek Rd., services Wildwood residents.

At the district's July 5 board meeting, Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, came to bat for the Missouri Association of Fire Protection Districts, where the Monarch Fire Protection District has been a member for the past six years.

Monarch Board President Kim Evans said the district's membership term was expiring this year, so they decided to start looking at options for different districts to join.

The other option on the table for Monarch is the Missouri Association of Career Fire Protection Districts, which made a phone presentation to Monarch's board of directors at their June 20 meeting.

“We figured that association probably has the same common interests as we would have here as far as representation in Jeff City,” Evans said.

She said events tend to move quickly when the legislature is in session. “It is important to have your ears and eyes somewhere represented in Jefferson City."

The cost of yearly membership to the Associaton of Career Fire Protection Districts is $3,000; the cost for the Association of Fire Protection Districts is $1,750. Monarch is considered to be at the upper tier of fire districts based on its size.

Evans said though Monarch is looking at membership fees of the two associations, the decision ultimately will come down to which one best represents their interests.

Monarch's board of directors are interested in how many of each association’s members are full-time, paid fire districts and not volunteer fire districts. Evans stressed the need for Monarch to join an association that is representing its needs as a full-time, paid fire district.

“It is back to making sure we’re running our fire district properly,” Evans said.

Both associations promoted their annual conferences that help educate members on how to effectively run their districts and prepare them for issues they might confront in their districts. Evans said Monarch’s staff would benefit from how other districts handle legal matters and laws involving open meetings and public records.

“We’ve entertained both of them now and we’ll make a decision hopefully at the next meeting about which direction we want to go,” Evans said. “We try to look for the most competitive pricing, but we also try to look for the best fit for our fire district, and it isn’t always the cheapest service and you have to keep that in mind.”