Big Bear Fire Authority faces mounting pressure as budget remains unapproved; firefighters warn of staffing and safety impacts

Public comment at the Aug. 12 meeting of the Big Bear Fire Authority centered on the unresolved 2025–26 budget and strained morale within the department.

At the meeting, resident Britannia Huether told the board, “This board is the one that broke this department,” accusing directors of ignoring written warnings and failing to pass a budget. Patrice Duncan, another resident speaker, asked why the budget was not on the agenda and urged transparency, saying the repeated delays send “a message to your new chief as well as your fire department of no confidence.” Firefighter-paramedic Andrew Craig described operational consequences, saying the authority is relying on last year’s budget and that a physician who provides a DEA license for narcotics procurement is currently working without a contract.

The finance officer, Kristen (Finance Officer), presented preliminary fiscal-year cash-basis figures as of June 30 and told the board that year-end adjustments are ongoing. Kristen said revenues finished roughly 1% under budget for fiscal year 2024–25 and expenses were about 3% over budget largely because of reimbursable mutual-aid salaries tied to an active fire season. In response to a director’s question, Kristen said the ambulance service showed a roughly $1 million deficit for the year, noting that the number is preliminary and subject to accrual adjustments.

Why this matters: board members, staff and the public said the budget impasse is already affecting operations. Multiple speakers linked staffing reductions and resource strain to the lack of an adopted budget. Public commenters and several directors said the current uncertainty is preventing contract renewals, training purchases and timely staffing adjustments.

Board response and next steps

Directors and staff discussed next steps at length during the finance-committee and general-board portions of the meeting. Board members asked for concrete, line-item feedback to the finance committee rather than general objections; one director proposed that members identify specific budget line items they want changed and forward those to the finance committee for consideration. Staff said they would schedule another finance-committee meeting and attempt to bring a budget proposal back to the full board at an upcoming meeting.

The meeting record shows no final board vote on the operating budget on Aug. 12. Directors and members of the public repeatedly urged faster progress; speakers on both sides of the CFD (Community Facilities District) debate said a resolved operating budget would help the authority plan its longer-term funding strategy.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- Ambulance service deficit: described by finance officer Kristen as about $1,000,000 for the fiscal year (preliminary; subject to accruals). - Timing for audited/adjusted year-end numbers: staff said some accrual work typically takes a couple of months after June 30. - Public-comment time limit: 3 minutes per speaker, per the meeting notice.

Context

Multiple speakers connected the budget delay to earlier staffing reductions and a reported drop in daily engine staffing from 13 to 10 personnel. Commenters said that unresolved negotiations and deferred contracts have tangible effects on daily operations. Several directors urged members of the board to submit specific amendment requests to the finance committee so staff can produce a version of the budget that can be voted on at a future meeting.

Ending

No budget vote occurred during the Aug. 12 meeting. Directors instructed staff and the finance committee to continue work and to return proposals so the board can act at a future meeting. Staff also said they will follow up on specific line-item questions raised by board members.