Truckee Meadows Fire board adopts FY2025–26 budget, creates two capital-project funds and restores green-waste service

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners on May 20 approved two resolutions redefining and creating capital-project funds and adopted the district's fiscal year 2025'26 budget with two amendments: $90,000 restored for the green-waste program and a reclassification/transfer of an administrative position from Washoe County payroll to Truckee Meadows payroll with no salary increase.

The budget vote followed a public hearing and extended discussion of the district's revenues, reserves and program priorities. Cindy Vance, the district's chief fiscal officer, told the board the proposed general fund revenues are $54,901,454 and proposed general fund expenditures are $53,793,570, with a beginning fund balance projected at about $5,300,000 and contingency and other financing uses just over $4,000,000.

Vance also summarized the proposed fund structure and key line items: capital-projects funds of roughly $16,026,291, an extraordinary repairs and maintenance fund of $196,000, an emergency fund of $1,500,000, an EMS enterprise fund of $6,150,673, and other internal and stabilization funds. She said the district expects roughly 76% of general fund revenue to come from property taxes and consolidated taxes and described planned contributions to long-term capital as starting at 4% for construction-in-progress and growing to 7% over nine years, and an extraordinary repairs allocation starting at 0.75% and rising to 2% over five years.

Why it matters: the budget sets staffing, maintenance and capital priorities for a district that serves largely rural and suburban parts of Washoe County. Commissioners pressed staff on reserves, fire-prevention programs and how the district will manage personnel and contract costs as PERS and negotiated salary agreements take effect.

Discussion and amendments

Commissioners debated pausing several programs to meet fiscal constraints, including a temporary pause on the district's green-waste program. Commissioner Michael Clark objected to fully pausing green-waste collection, calling it a fire-prevention priority for rural property owners. "The savings that we're gonna have by pausing on the green waste versus the cost of just one fire, I just think that's being a bit irresponsible," Clark said. Chief Chris Kettering told the board he had asked staff to present alternatives at the next meeting: "I instructed Chief Eisenhagen to put together for the next commissioner meeting all the alternatives that we can do for green waste." Commissioner Clara Andreola noted private-sector alternatives and said Waste Management has been ramping up green-waste collections to help offset the pause.

To preserve green-waste service in fiscal 2026, the board voted to reallocate $90,000 from the budget's $400,000 contingency (reducing it to $310,000). The motion to restore green-waste funding was made by Commissioner Michael Clark and seconded by Commissioner Clara Andreola.

The board also addressed an administrative reclassification. Vance said the budget includes the district's executive manager position and that the role had been reassessed; commissioners agreed to transfer the position from Washoe County payroll to Truckee Meadows payroll but to keep the current salary level and not increase pay as part of the transfer. Deputy District Attorney D.A. Large summarized the agreement: "Like for like in terms of the current payroll for Washoe County...the salary would not be increased. There would not be a new executive office manager position created at this point. So the fiscal[ly] it would be the exact same number as we had from the prior year." The transfer and the green-waste funding were included in Commissioner Clark's amended motion to adopt the budget; Andreola seconded.

Other budget highlights and constraints

- The budget assumes the district will seek to restore a 12% ending fund balance policy in future years; a board member asked staff to bring a written policy for consideration. - The district's fuels-management and mutual-aid revenues are variable; Vance described those receipts as depending on contracts with federal agencies, NV Energy and similar partners and noted they are treated conservatively in the current projections. - Staff identified significant fixed contracts that limit near-term reductions (IT, REMSA ambulance agreement, audit, radio operations and OPEB/PERS accruals). - The EMS enterprise fund shows a beginning net position around $2.6 million; Vance said ongoing work with Medicaid and the GEMT program could affect the fund's future operations. - The district continues to expect delivery of three engines ordered three years ago and described several outstanding debt service obligations; staff listed payoff years in the documents provided to the board.

Formal actions and votes

The board approved two related resolutions (agenda item 7) authorizing a redefinition of the district's capital projects fund and the creation of an additional capital projects fund for extraordinary maintenance, repairs and improvements pursuant to NRS 354.612, NRS 354.6113 and NRS 354.6105. The board then adopted the fiscal year 2025'26 final budget (agenda item 8) as amended on the record to restore green-waste funding and to transfer the administrative position off Washoe County payroll without a salary increase.

Quotes from the meeting

"These are the two capital projects funds we had discussed last time in the budget," Cindy Vance said when introducing the resolutions. "We are projecting a beginning fund balance of $5,300,000, revenues of $54,900,000 and expenditures of $53,800,000."

"The savings that we're gonna have by pausing on the green waste versus the cost of just one fire, I just think that's being a bit irresponsible," Commissioner Michael Clark said.

"I instructed Chief Eisenhagen to put together for the next commissioner meeting all the alternatives that we can do for green waste," Chief Chris Kettering said.

"Like for like in terms of the current payroll for Washoe County...the salary would not be increased," Deputy District Attorney D.A. Large said about the payroll transfer.

Ending

The motions to create the capital funds and to adopt the amended FY2025'26 budget passed unanimously. Staff told the board it can reallocate contingency funds as needed during the fiscal year and that staff will return with a report on green-waste alternatives and with a proposed written fund-balance policy for board consideration.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution TM05-2025 and TM06-2025 (create/redefine capital projects funds pursuant to NRS 354.612, NRS 354.6113 and NRS 354.6105): mover Commissioner Clara Andreola; second Commissioner Michael Clark; outcome: approved unanimously (Hill, Clark, Andreola). Note: these resolutions establish a separate construction-in-progress CIP and an extraordinary repairs, maintenance and improvements fund.

- Adoption of FY2025'26 final budget (as amended): mover Commissioner Michael Clark (amendment to restore green-waste funding $90,000 from contingency and transfer administrative position from Washoe County payroll to Truckee Meadows payroll with no salary increase); second Commissioner Clara Andreola; outcome: approved unanimously (Hill, Clark, Andreola).