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Commissioners set parameters for $500,000 fire‑department grant program; attorney to draft fund ordinance
Summary
County leaders agreed on a plan to create a new grant fund to deliver $500,000 to local fire and EMS agencies — $50,000 per department up front plus $100,000 for multi‑department or special requests — and asked the county attorney and auditor to draft agreements and an ordinance to create the fund.
Marshall County commissioners and council members discussed a previously announced commitment of $500,000 to county fire and EMS departments and agreed to establish a dedicated fund and an application/approval process.
County attorney Sean Cerisi said the commissioners need agreements with the departments and asked for guidance on whether the grants should be multi‑year or single‑year commitments. Commissioners and councilors said a one‑year approach was preferable while state legislation affecting public safety funding remains unsettled.
Officials described the agreed model as $50,000 allocated to each eligible department at the outset, with an additional $100,000 reserved for special requests or multi‑department purchases (for example, shared drones and training). Several officials said a first‑come, first‑served approach for the special‑request pool would be reasonable and that the commissioners would approve specific purchases and grants. Auditor staff said the county would need a separate fund or line item to track the grants and agreed to work with the attorney to prepare a draft ordinance and the necessary application materials.
At the meeting commissioners noted some departments had already drawn on earlier allocated funds for equipment discounts. Staff and the attorney agreed to prepare an ordinance and an application process for the council’s review at an upcoming meeting. The auditor said she would confirm whether the funds could be tracked through an existing local‑grant fund or whether a new fund account needed to be created.
Ending: The county attorney will draft an ordinance and funding agreements, and auditors will create the fund tracking mechanism; commissioners expect to bring the ordinance and agreements back to a future meeting for formal approval.
