Hilmer Edges Out Klund for Fire District Chairman

In a hotly contested race for the chairman of a 3-person Mehlville Fire Protection District Board, incumbent Aaron Hilmer, with 48.9 percent of the vote barely edged out Michael Klund with 47.5 percent, to keep his seat.

R.L Praprotnik won 3.48 percent and 527 votes despite publicly throwing his support to Hilmer early in the campaign.

Hilmer had 7,418 votes to Klund's 7,205 votes.

Klund had the support of fire unions across the country and collected about $90,000 to spend on his campaign.

Hilmer said he spent about $10,000 on his campaign and felt his record over the past six years would tell voters what they needed to decide. A term is six years.

Hilmer came aboard his first term and basically broke the union grip on the local fire district, getting state legislation passed to allow the district tax rate to go down. He's led the district to a tax reduction from about $1.70 per $100 of assessed property value to 68 cents. Yet, the district has re-built four firehouses, doubled the number of firefighters trained as paramedics, turned employee pensions into 401Ks and re-structured salaries.

In the campaign, Klund accused Hilmer of out of control spending and endangering lives by moving the No. 3 firehouse several blocks down Lindbergh Boulevard from its present location.

The majority of Sunset Hills is protected by the Mehlville fire district, and the remainder is by Fenton.

Proposition S

Mehlville fire district voters resoundingly agreed to combine ambulance and fire protection funding with 79 percent voting yes, totaling 11,804. Nearly 21 percent voted  no, for a total of 3,107 votes. Supporters said combining the two tax revenues would streamline operations. The majority of firefighters are now trained as paramedics and ride with fire crews.