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Whitestown Fire Board advances 2026 proposed budget to Town Council
Summary
The Whitestown Fire Board voted 4–0 on Sept. 3 to forward the department’s 2026 proposed budget to the Town Council with a favorable recommendation after brief discussion of modest line‑item adjustments, a 56% drop in debt-service line caused by leases being paid off and a 12.47% year‑to‑date increase in EMS revenue.
The Whitestown Fire Board on Sept. 3 voted 4–0 to forward the fire department’s 2026 proposed budget to the Town Council with a favorable recommendation.
The chief reviewed the budget, noting a small reduction in the supplies line (the packet showed a change “from $4.77 to $4.07” — meeting discussion did not specify units) and several minor adjustments to align figures with numbers proposed by the town clerk’s office. The chief said those changes produced a 0% increase overall compared with his initial submission.
Board members asked for clarifications on several line items. The chief said the roughly 56% reduction in the fire debt‑service line reflected leases that have been paid off. Fuel costs were reduced about 16% in the draft based on current-year monthly trends, and the clerk’s office requested that holiday, sick pay and vacation cash‑out amounts be consolidated into the full‑time staff line (the board was told those amounts remain part of the fire budget, not moved into the town budget).
The chief also reported EMS billing figures in the meeting packet: August month‑to‑date revenue was $42,182.76 and year‑to‑date revenue was $325,733, described in the presentation as a 12.47% increase over the same point last year. The packet included run statistics: 189 runs for August and a year‑to‑date total of 1,373 (a decline of 13 runs, or about a 1% decrease, from the prior year). The chief reported 93 patient contacts and 90 transports for the month and provided a breakdown of BLS/ALS service counts in the packet.
After limited discussion, the board’s motion to advance the proposed 2026 budget with the reduced supply figures passed unanimously: “All in favor… Aye. Opposed, nay. Carries 4 0.” No formal appropriation occurred at the meeting; the board forwarded the proposal and recommended council review as part of the town’s budget process in October.
Board members and staff noted that further questions could be raised at subsequent meetings but that the draft before the board should mirror the package presented at the council workshop except for the minor changes discussed.
