The Town of Trophy Club and Municipal Utility District No. 1 met June 18 to review the proposed fiscal year 2026 fire department budget, which town staff presented as an early draft and noted will change when county-certified tax values are available.

At the meeting, April (finance director) said, “We are here to present and discuss the fiscal year 20 25 26 proposed fire department budget,” and laid out preliminary totals. The proposed FY2026 budget totals $2,191,714, an overall increase of $247,226, or 12.7 percent, from the previous year; personnel costs are projected at $1,635,967 and services and supplies at $337,747. Staff attributed most of the increase to planned capital spending and standard personnel adjustments.

The nut of the discussion was threefold: personnel and benefit cost drivers, overtime trends and management, and capital equipment requests. April said personnel costs include a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment and 2–4 percent merit increases, a $10,000 allocation for employee payouts and separations, and a rise in the TMRS retirement contribution from 13.92 percent to 14.39 percent; she also noted benefits other than retirement are forecast to increase about 5 percent but remain preliminary pending broker rates.

Fire Chief Jason Wise provided historical overtime data and operational context. He described how vacancies, FMLA leaves and events such as a mutual‑aid deployment have driven overtime spikes in prior years and explained steps taken to reduce overtime costs by expanding a part‑time firefighter program. “Part time firefighters reduce the need for full time staffing at lower salaries, benefits, [and] overtime costs,” Wise said, noting the department’s part‑time roster recently rose to about 16 and that the department had not required mandatory overtime in three months since the increase.

Chief Wise and staff described how part‑time hiring affects costs and readiness: part‑time employees are paid straight time (they do not receive FLSA 207(k) premium overtime) while full‑time staffing carries the Fair Labor Standards Act 207(k) overtime components; the chief said part‑time availability is dynamic because many part‑timers hold other full‑time jobs and training commitments. April and council members asked for further breakdowns of mandatory overtime dollars, engine hours, vehicle maintenance, and itemized building maintenance costs; staff agreed to provide those line‑item details at a later date.

Capital requests, which together total about $218,000, drew detailed review. Noted items and the amounts discussed include: mobile vehicle radios (8 APX 8500-series mobile units) at approximately $39,000 (the district’s share; the town is paying the other half), two thermal imagers at $12,000, replacement mattresses for station sleeping quarters ($7,500), a permanent dumpster enclosure (vendor quote ~ $25,000), LED lighting and interior painting (roughly $27,000 and $35,000 referenced from prior vendor quotes), station carpet ($20,000), sewer line repair (~$9,500), and replacement of two aging HVAC units (~$27,000). Chief Wise described operational reasons for each item, including compatibility with existing Motorola radio equipment and safety benefits of newer thermal imagers.

Council members and district directors discussed budgeting practices. One director suggested a separate budget line for “regular firefighters overtime” to distinguish predictable FLSA‑driven overtime from extraordinary overtime caused by vacancies or incidents. Staff said the payroll and records systems can provide detailed reports and that some increases reflect up‑front or contractual payments rather than increased operational burn rates.

The presenters emphasized that the figures are preliminary. April repeated that the budget remains under development pending certified tax values and final vendor quotes, and both town and district staff asked council and directors to consider the draft while staff supplies the requested line‑item clarifications.

The meeting moved on after directors and council members requested follow‑up materials on overtime breakdowns, engine run hours, vehicle maintenance histories, and a detailed line‑item breakdown of building maintenance and capital timing.

Ending

Town and district leaders agreed to continue refining the FY2026 budget, with staff to provide requested details on overtime, equipment lifecycles and maintenance; the budget will be revised once final tax values and vendor quotes are available.