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Wakulla County fire leaders and staff cite higher personnel costs after adding engine companies; county to study fire apportionment and EMS MSBU feasibility
Summary
Chief Lewis and county staff said hiring experienced firefighter‑paramedics increased payroll and benefit costs and drove up the fire fund’s expenditures; staff proposed a temporary fire assessment increase and several studies to rebalance apportionment and explore a dedicated EMS MSBU.
Wakulla County fire leadership and county finance staff told commissioners at the budget workshop that adding engine companies and recruiting experienced paramedics improved service but increased personnel and benefit costs, prompting recommendations for a study of fire assessment apportionment and a potential temporary assessment increase.
Chief Lewis described the county’s recent hires as bringing experience to the fire service: "In the last 10 hires, we have over 60 years experience combined between all of them," he said, and he noted the department had recruited paramedics and that several EMTs had advanced to paramedic certification. Staff said the higher pay for experienced paramedics and a greater share of employees enrolled on family health plans contributed to unexpectedly higher personnel and benefit costs in the fire fund.
Kelly Graves said the fire fund began the year with approximately $929,000 in fund balance and that current projections showed the fund could overspend by about $195,000. Staff said the minimum fund balance policy for the fire fund is a little over $1,000,000 and that if a scheduled transfer to the general fund (an administrative allocation) is made in full it would worsen the fund’s position. Graves said the county faces a choice at year‑end to make or withhold the transfer; making the transfer would “do some damage to the fire fund” while withholding it would reduce general fund resources.
To address the shortfall and new staffing costs, staff recommended running updated studies and a temporary assessment adjustment. Graves described three key studies: a fire MSBU apportionment study (to set assessment rates by property type based on call volumes and services), a general fund allocation study (to set interfund administrative charges) and an EMS MSBU feasibility study. Staff estimated that a dedicated EMS assessment could potentially relieve about $2,000,000 of general fund support if the board chose that funding path.
As a stopgap, staff proposed a temporary assessment rate increase for the fire MSBU from $2.48 to $2.63 (per the presentation) to “stop the bleeding” while studies are completed; staff emphasized they did not want to “over rev the engine nor…bleed the front off.” Chief Lewis and staff emphasized that the added paramedic capability on engines improves response capability and can provide advanced care when ambulances are out of the county: "...we have a paramedic there that can administer the epinephrine or whatever else is needed," Lewis said.
The board did not take formal votes on staff recommendations at the workshop; staff said they will procure the studies and return with analysis and recommended rates before final budget adoption.
