Kendall County commissioners on Tuesday approved a four‑month pilot contract with the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department to fund part‑time, paid firefighters at the Bergheim station, agreeing to provide $46,675 for June through September operations.

Supporters said the pilot is a pragmatic, short‑term step to improve emergency response while the county and volunteer departments work on a long‑term staffing plan. Commissioner Wiesgen, who moved the contract, described it as a way to “buy consistent coverage” at the station and to quickly put trained personnel where they are needed.

The vote followed a months‑long, contentious discussion about whether the county should hire firefighters directly or fund volunteer organizations to hire and manage paid staff. Critics, including Commissioner Chapman and County Judge Shane Slaughter, said the county should prioritize creating permanent, county‑employed staffing models in the October budget cycle rather than funding temporary, part‑time positions.

The pilot will pay Bergheim to recruit and station paid, off‑duty firefighters under the volunteer department’s management. County staff and volunteer chiefs presented a cost model during the meeting showing an estimated part‑time gross hourly cost of about $22.31 after payroll taxes and workers’ compensation credits. The packet showed how funding levels translate into hours of coverage; presenters said the pilot money would buy dozens of staffed hours during the four‑month period and that the long‑range goal remains to achieve 24/7 coverage through phased expansion.

Public commenters were sharply divided. John Tipton urged the court to strengthen a countywide plan rather than support a “backdoor ESD,” saying, “What’s being sold as a 4 month pilot program is really the first step of what looks a lot like a backdoor ESD.” Supporters including Bergheim residents and former firefighters said the pilot could prevent loss of life by ensuring crews can enter burning buildings and by guaranteeing a driver and basic on‑station coverage.

County and volunteer leaders described operational challenges with earlier efforts that the county ran directly: when the county previously employed firefighters for limited assignments some recruits left after months; supervisors outside the local department had limited authority over day‑to‑day firefighter conduct; and the county lacks the supervisory bandwidth to manage station‑level crews in every precinct. Bergheim and other volunteer chiefs said local control over hiring, discipline and day‑to‑day training improves retention and operational cohesion.

Legal questions surfaced during debate. County counsel and commissioners discussed nonprofit and tax implications; commissioners asked for an opinion from the county’s legal team, and Bergheim officials said they would also arrange counsel comments. The court directed Commissioner Wiesgen to work with Bergheim and county counsel to draft a written agreement that the court will approve.

The motion to fund the pilot and direct drafting of a contract passed on a 3–2 vote. Commissioners McCall, Wiesgen and Carpenter voted in favor; Commissioner Chapman and County Judge Shane Slaughter voted against the action. The motion record shows Commissioner Wiesgen as the mover and Commissioner Carpenter as the second.

The pilot will be monitored while commissioners continue budget discussions this summer. Supporters said a successful, locally managed pilot could be scaled into a broader program or inform a future county staffing plan; opponents said the county should not add recurring obligations without a more comprehensive fiscal plan.

What’s next: the court asked legal staff and the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department to prepare a contract and a legal review to present at a future meeting, and commissioners signaled they will revisit funding options during the fiscal‑year budget process this fall.