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Commissioners debate countywide fire staffing and long-term funding; no immediate $7M allocation
Summary
Board members spent more than an hour discussing a proposal to use fund balance to help pay for 24/7 staffing at volunteer and municipal fire departments. Commissioners agreed to prioritize staff work on alternatives and a timeline but did not approve the $7 million one-time allocation pressurized by some members.
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners spent extensive time during its June 16 meeting debating a proposal to increase county support for fire department staffing, including a staff-driven analysis of the cost to provide four paid firefighters on duty 24 hours a day for volunteer and rural departments.
Commissioner Thompson framed the item as a public-safety priority and said a lack of consistent staffing could delay rescues and risk lives: "We are putting people and our citizens at risk by not doing this immediately," he said.…
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