At its Aug. 27 meeting, the Public Safety Committee took a first look at the proposed 2026 operating budgets for the fire department and ambulance service, reviewing current-year results, projected revenue streams and priority increases under a citywide 3% levy-cap guideline.
The fire department presentation showed a current-year “holdover” balance of $858,000 and reported the department is about 5.5% under budget through August. The Fire Chief said staffing was down two full-time members for the first two months of the year and that overtime and maintenance pressures remain the primary budget risks. “One of the nice things on overtime…we’re up $4,000 overall, which…is a pretty light number compared to where we have been in years past,” the Fire Chief said.
Why it matters: the committee’s review frames the department’s request ahead of citywide budget deliberations. The presentation identified several specific cost drivers — unexpectedly large repair bills, equipment and telephone charges — that will shape whether the department must draw fund balance or shift other line items.
Key points from the presentation
- Current-year position and carryover: The Fire Chief said the department’s carryover (holdover) is $858,000 and the department is about 5.5% under budget for the year through August. He reported the department is at roughly 61.5% of budget at that point in the year. (presentation)
- Maintenance and equipment spikes: The chief described multiple one-time or episodic repair costs that increase maintenance spending, including a $13,000 ladder maintenance bill and an $18,000 engine repair that was reduced after warranty/coverage; he said such failures can rapidly raise maintenance totals compared with prior budget years. The presentation noted prior maintenance totals as high as “$30,000–$40,000” in previous years as context.
- Telephone/IT billing anomaly: The chief said a large telephone line-item spike was due to two “cradle point” routers previously assumed to be billed to IT; those hardware charges posted to the fire budget this year and explained a 254% increase in that line as billed. The chief said staff are working to sort the invoice allocation.
- Overtime and mutual-aid revenue: The presentation described department staff working mutual-aid details for neighboring jurisdictions and special events. The Fire Chief said contracted event work is billed at a flat rate and the department offsets overtime costs with those reimbursements.
- Ambulance revenue and GEMT: The ambulance operating review showed gross charges billed at roughly $1.2 million year-to-date; contractual reductions (federal and insurer adjustments) were reported at about $636,000 leaving net billings near $536,000 so far. The chief said the system’s collection rate so far is in the low 80s percent and that this is above national averages. He also said pending GEMT (Ground Emergency Medical Transportation) reimbursements for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 have cleared desk review and are expected to add about $37,000 to revenues, with payouts anticipated in September and November.
- Levy-cap and proposed increases: Staff said the city’s instruction limited department levy increases to no more than 3%. After accounting for wage and benefit changes at the city level, the Fire Chief said the department’s non-personnel, levy-driven increase available was about $7,800; that amount is being allocated across several modest line-item increases (professional development, clothing/uniform allowance, physical exams, EMS supplies).
- Career-ladder and retention: On the ambulance side, staff proposed funding for a career-ladder/step progression to improve retention among full-time EMS staff. The chief characterized the item as a multi-year effort and said a separate line item is shown in the proposal to pay for the ladder; the committee did not adopt the funding at the meeting.
Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion only: Committee members and department staff discussed maintenance volatility, telephone billing reallocation, mutual-aid revenue and the GEMT reimbursements. Several line-item increases (training props, uniform allowances, physicals) were described and justified; the committee did not take final budget votes at the meeting.
- Direction/assignment: Staff said they will continue sorting the telephone/invoice allocations and return with clarified line-item detail at the next review. The Fire Chief invited committee members to ask follow-up questions between meetings.
- Formal action: None on the 2026 fire or ambulance budgets; items were presented for first reading and discussion only.
Ending: The department will return to the committee for additional review; staff emphasized that the current materials represented a first read and that more detailed allocation and corrected invoice allocations will be provided at a subsequent meeting.