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Lake City council adopts fire assessment increase to fund three new firefighter positions
Summary
After public debate over cost to residents, the Lake City Council adopted a revised fire-assessment resolution designed to fund three additional firefighters; council members discussed funding the remainder from contingency or future budget action.
The Lake City Council on Sept. 3 adopted a revised fire-assessment resolution to increase the assessment to fund three additional firefighter positions beginning in the 2025–26 fiscal year. The vote to adopt the calculation for three positions was unanimous. The increase was presented by Fire Chief Josh Waringer as necessary to meet minimum staffing and to support recent heavy-duty responses such as the Cedar Park structure fire.
The council debated how to pay for additional staffing without overburdening residents. Councilman Carter proposed phasing the increase, using the assessment to fund three positions now and covering three more from contingency or a future budget amendment; the council adopted the assessment with calculations for the three-position option and directed staff to return with final budget language. Finance staff and the city attorney explained that the council could fund additional positions from the general fund later through a budget amendment or contingency transfer if the council chooses.
Public speakers cautioned against raising charges on residents with fixed incomes. Be Faithful Coker told the council the proposal would raise the assessment to $471.32 “which is approximately $41 per household,” and urged transparency in department incident reporting. Other residents, including Glenn L. Bowden, Sylvester Warren and Barbara Lemley, said the assessment would harm seniors and renters on fixed incomes and urged the council to consider alternatives.
Chief Waringer described staffing and operational needs for the department and why the increase had been proposed. “This is probably the hardest part of my job, having to come and tell you or ask you what I need for my budget,” he said, adding that federal and state grant work has funded several pieces of equipment and that the 100-foot ladder truck was used at Cedar Park. Waringer said automatic mutual aid with Columbia County remains in place but that minimum staffing can fall below safe levels when personnel are on leave without the added hires.
City staff clarified rate calculations during the hearing. Finance staff read the assessment figures tied to the adopted resolution: the council adopted a document labeled to distinguish it from the previously published packet that contained the calculations supporting the three-position option. The clerk called the roll and recorded a unanimous vote in favor.
Council members said they weighed public affordability concerns against the risk of understaffing. Several members noted that if the city declined the assessment, the city’s general fund would need to backfill roughly the amount identified by the fire department, which could lead to cuts elsewhere or deficit spending if not managed.
The adopted resolution and accompanying calculation sheet (designated by staff as Resolution 2025‑115a) will be signed and implemented after the usual posting and administrative steps; staff said the assessment schedule and final assessment roll will be confirmed before collection. The council also directed staff to provide the fire department’s NFIRS or year-end incident-type reports for recent years to improve transparency.
Notes: the council aired but did not finalize whether the remaining three positions would be funded from contingency at the final budget hearing; staff said that option would require calculation and a formal budget amendment or transfer at the council’s direction.
