Taxpayers of the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District decided Tuesday that they want to elect their trustees, according to unofficial election results.

With all 25 precincts reporting, 7,647 voters – or about 82 percent – indicated they wanted their trustees to be elected rather than appointed.

The breakdown in Kane County's 22 districts was 7,276 to 1,569. DuPage's three districts supported elected trustees 371 to 81.

Two county boards have been appointing the trustees at the recommendation of the chairman, board President Jim Gaffney has said. The Kane County Board appoints four, and the DuPage County Board appoints one.

As a result of Tuesday's vote, the fire district will hold elections for its trustees next year. Gaffney has said every seat will be up for election, and there would be a system to stagger the terms.

As with school boards, he has said, the trustees will decide which role – president, treasurer, secretary – each would serve.

The fire district serves more than 50 square miles in St. Charles, Campton and Wayne townships in Kane and DuPage Counties. The district includes unincorporated areas of the townships and parts of the villages of Wayne and Campton Hills.

Before May 2011, the fire district contracted service from the city of St. Charles and Tri-City Ambulance. On May 1, 2011, the fire district began operating its own stations. Station No. 1 is in Campton Hills at 40W361 Route 64, and Station No. 3 is at 33W802 Gilbert St. in South Elgin.