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Beaumont council hears monthslong debate over fire department overtime, union no-confidence and staffing
Summary
City officials, the fire chief and dozens of residents debated a sharp rise in overtime, the effect of integrating EMS with the fire department, and a union vote of no confidence in Chief Earl White. Staff presented data showing large overtime increases; the council discussed recruitment, sick-leave use and legal limits on residency rules.
Beaumont City Council spent more than an hour on March 25 reviewing a surge in fire-department overtime and public unrest after the firefighters’ union circulated a vote of no confidence in Fire Chief Earl White. Assistant Finance Officer Duncan Brown told council the city’s overtime costs have risen sharply since 2020, with the Fire Department showing the largest increase and a multi-year growth in overtime spending.
The presentation laid out the core issue: the Beaumont Fire Department’s overtime grew far faster than other departments after the city combined EMS operations into the fire department in 2022. "Annualized growth rate for sworn overtime is 24.69%," Brown said, and the department’s total overtime since 2020 was presented as approximately $17.9 million. Brown said the 2025 figure shown to council was an annualized projection from the first five months of the fiscal year.
Council members and residents said the spike in overtime is straining the budget and drew attention to staff shortages, sick leave, and residency patterns among firefighters. Multiple…
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