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Wausau fire chief outlines cuts and warns SAFER grant expiration could force longer-term choices
Summary
Fire department outlined one-time and ongoing reductions for 2026 and said nine SAFER-funded firefighter positions end Feb. 2026; city staff and the chief flagged possible future referendum or grant-extension options for 2027 funding.
The fire chief reported to the finance committee that the fire department proposed several reductions for 2026 intended to meet the committee’s savings targets while maintaining minimum operational capacity. Among the measures: holding one division chief position vacant through 2026, reducing lawn-mowing and other maintenance line items, cutting training and inspection budgets, deferring one ambulance purchase, and delaying some equipment replacement cycles.
The department also reported a revenue strategy tied to EMS-billing adjustments. The chief said an updated billing approach — adjusted after consulting the billing vendor — is projected to generate roughly $120,000 in additional annual revenue based on call volume and current collections.
The fire chief emphasized the looming budget cliff after FEMA’s SAFER grant expires: SAFER funded nine firefighter positions (three additional were funded with ARPA), and the grant window for obligated SAFER funds runs through Feb. 2026. The department and finance staff discussed applying for an extension from FEMA; staff said they opened the extension process and expected to pursue it but could not rely on an extension for budget planning.
Finance staff and the fire chief summarized a longer-term gap: once one-time revenue sources and ARPA interest are exhausted, the city would face an ongoing gap to continue the grant-funded public-safety positions in 2027. Staff described options that include a referendum to exceed levy limits (a process that requires council action and a January 2026 deadline to get on an April ballot) and added that staff will continue to seek federal and state grants.
Committee members asked whether the department could defer buying the aerial ladder further and discussed grant prospects; the chief said procurement lead times are long and that he has applied for FEMA grant funding and other equipment grants but that any delay carries operational risk. No final decision on a referendum or levy increase was made in the session; staff flagged the need for a council-level policy decision if long-term funding is required.
