Morton Mayor Dan Mortensen made the case Monday morning for combining his city’s fire and emergency services with Lewis County Fire District 4, at the Lewis County Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting, at which the board endorsed a Feb. 13 special election that would allow citizens to decide the fate of the proposal. Mortensen said that the merger of services has been under consideration for the past 6 to 8 years. The resolution detailing the consolidation reports that the City of Morton’s growth has created a greater demand for critical fire and emergency services that would be afforded by the annexation. The resolution states that Morton’s intent to annex its fire and emergency services into Lewis County would enhance the “efficiency and effectiveness” of public fire protection.