Fredonia trustees reject appointment of firefighter Bryce Fisher after budget concerns

The Village of Fredonia Board of Trustees on Jan. 31 rejected a resolution to appoint Bryce Fisher as a full-time firefighter, citing concerns about the village’s cash position and near-term budget priorities. The vote failed 3-2 after extended discussion of staffing, training timelines and projected costs.

The board had before it a resolution that read in part: “Be it resolved that Bryce Fisher, Sherman, New York, is hereby appointed as a full time firefighter with the Village of Fredonia Fire Department effective 02/01/2025 at a rate of $22.34 per hour and will serve a probationary trial of 18 months in compliance with all applicable civil service rules and regulations.” The measure required a majority to pass but received two yes votes and three no votes.

Why it matters: The vote came amid debate over whether the village should add roughly $64,000 in personnel costs through August to reduce overtime and staffing risk. Fire department officials and several residents told trustees that not filling the vacancy increases risk of injury, burnout and degraded emergency response. Opponents said the village’s finances are precarious and adding the cost now could force deeper cuts elsewhere.

Fire Chief (name not specified) told the board that hiring and training a new firefighter is not an immediate remedy. He said a new hire would begin the fire academy Feb. 10, graduate in May and — if subsequently sent to paramedic school — would not be fully trained as a paramedic until about August or September. “Hiring a firefighter requires long term plan,” the chief said, noting that a hire made now would not count toward contractual staffing requirements until after training and credentialing were complete.

Treasurer Alyssa (identified in the meeting as the staff member who prepared the cost spreadsheet) provided a staff estimate showing a $64,000 increase through August and about $34,000 that would fall into the next fiscal year if the hire were made now. She and other trustees clarified that the $64,000 figure includes anticipated overtime savings and training costs. One trustee asked whether that spreadsheet included overtime; Alyssa confirmed that it did.

Trustees who opposed the appointment said borrowing or spending additional money now would worsen an already fragile cash position. Board members repeatedly raised an ongoing effort to secure an $825,000 revenue anticipation note later in the meeting and said they preferred to finalize the full budget before adding recurring personnel costs. Trustee Twitchell and Trustee Esperson explicitly cited the current budget shortfall and said they would revisit hiring after the May budget process.

Supporters of the hire, including several trustees and multiple public speakers, said the immediate operational and safety risks to firefighters and residents outweighed short-term budget concerns. One resident said, “You don’t need a firefighter until you need a firefighter,” and warned that response times and crew fatigue are already compromised. The Fire Chief quantified the potential overtime exposure if PTO were allowed: approximately 504 overtime hours per pay period to cover shifts, which he said could drive both costs and morale problems.

The resolution specified an 18-month probationary period and compliance with civil service rules; the motion to appoint did not list a mover or seconder in the public vote record. After the vote failed, the chief asked the board to issue a hiring freeze resolution so he could pause talks with the union and pursue other administrative measures such as reviewing PTO usage.

Ending: Trustees said the matter will return to the board after the budget process. The board scheduled its next meeting for Feb. 5, when members expected additional budget discussions and follow-up on contract negotiations.