Cumberland council reviews Fire Department budget as training, per‑diem and ambulance costs rise

Madam Chair Douglas opened the March 17 budget workshop discussion of the fire department with staff updates on requested increases for fiscal 2026.

Helene, finance staff, said the 2026 draft “trues up” wages to reflect last year’s bargaining agreement, carries the contract’s four percent wage increase for next year and moves some operating items into the department’s line items so those costs can be tracked by cost center. She also pointed to a redlined packet the council can use to see the changes in context.

Why it matters: the proposed changes affect operating costs for public safety and include several items the council flagged for additional detail before budget adoption — notably a roughly $20,000 increase in the per‑diem line, an $18,000 increase in training driven largely by…