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Speedway fire department budget proposes pay-and-benefit increases, uses public-safety LIT
Summary
The fire department’s proposed 2026 budget is $6,501,511 (15.7% increase), with about $1.12 million expected from the public safety LIT; staff said most increases are salaries, wages and benefits and include a scheduled payment for a recent engine.
Town staff presented the Speedway Fire Department’s proposed 2026 budget on Aug. 20, listing $6,501,511 in general-fund spending and a portion funded by the public safety local income tax.
Grant (town staff) summarized the proposal and noted that roughly $1,116,645 of the department’s budget is expected to come from the public safety LIT; he said combining general fund and LIT funds yields the department’s full operating cost. The proposed budget represents a 15.7% increase, largely driven by salaries and benefits.
Staff and fire leaders said overtime pressures have increased because of retirements and injuries, and that a recent negotiated pay increase raises the effective cost of overtime. The presentation included a $30,000 overtime increase to account for that pressure. The budget also includes the third payment on a recently acquired engine (about $239,859) and planning around a ladder truck the council ordered; delivery for the ladder truck will take multiple years and the town is considering whether to cash-pay or finance that purchase.
Staff emphasized tight planning to avoid multiple overlapping large equipment payments in the same year and noted that capital purchases are coordinated with Sourcewell contracts and county purchasing arrangements to obtain better pricing.
Ending: Staff said detailed budget slides will be available on the town site and that council follow-up and final adoption will occur during the scheduled budget hearings in September.
