Pittsylvania fire leaders say proposed county budget would fund many of their requests; public hearings set

Pittsylvania County fire officials said the county finance committee has incorporated many of the commission's budget requests into a proposed fiscal-year budget that will be publicly heard on May 13 and could be approved May 20. Chief Fowler and Director Key described the proposal as an initial step that still requires board approval.

The proposed budget matters because it would determine funding for equipment, training and annual payments to volunteer agencies across the county. Chief Fowler told commission members that he and association leaders attended the finance committee meeting to present the commission's list of requests and that supervisors were receptive. "Nothing's formalized yet. It's just been proposed so far," Chief Fowler said.

Director Key said the county's timeline calls for public hearings on May 13 and a final board vote on May 20 unless the schedule changes. "I think the public hearings are scheduled for May 13, and then the approval, I think, is the May 20 board meeting," Director Key said. Commissioners and association leaders said the proposed budget appears to include increases or partial funding for several items the commission prioritized.

Commissioners and association members emphasized the tentative nature of the proposal: any increases will depend on the board of supervisors' final vote. Several speakers encouraged commission members to serve on finance and budget committees to follow the process more closely and provide input directly to supervisors.

The commission said it will report back at its next meeting with the board's final action if the budget is adopted at the May 20 meeting. For now, members said they are cautiously optimistic that the proposed budget will increase support for volunteer operations, training and apparatus needs.