Mount Airy council restores $43,000 to volunteer fire company after public hearing on FY26 budget

Mount Airy, Md. — The Mount Airy Town Council on Monday adopted its fiscal 2025–26 budget after a public hearing in which members of the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company urged the town to restore a cut to their annual contribution.

The hearing and subsequent council debate followed public remarks from volunteer firefighters and the company’s officers, who said the volunteer force faces rising equipment costs and relies on the town’s contribution to maintain 24/7 rescue and fire service in and around Mount Airy.

The fire company’s treasurer, Jimmy Linton, told the council he has handled the company’s finances for decades and urged the town to maintain a long‑standing funding precedent. Linton said the town historically committed “10% of the real property tax per year” to the volunteer fire company and warned that recent budget reductions would strain the company as it replaces aging apparatus.

Anthony Russo, fire chief of the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, told the council the company has been replacing aging equipment delayed by the pandemic and has signed contracts to buy two Seagrave fire vehicles. “The cost for…