In July of this year the Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District (TMFMD) Governing Board authorized the circulation of petitions for annexation to include the Bison Ridge community in the fire district. At the September 23 fire board meeting, the annexation was deemed complete and the Bison Ridge community, as well as surrounding properties including some forest land, were officially annexed into the fire district.
Some residents may recall that this annexation was previously sought by Show Low Fire District prior to the merger that created Timber Mesa. That annexation effort had to be abandoned due to a statement in law that no new land can be incorporated into a fire district that is in the process of merger or consolidation. Nearly five years later, the annexation is complete.
In the public hearing that launched the current annexation, residents of the Bison Ridge community expressed concern for fire and medical services in their area.