Truckee Meadows approves firefighter union contract, clears funding for Apple station addition and tables executive reclassification until budget review

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners on May 6, 2025 approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Firefighters Association, local 24 87, and approved a revised Phase 3 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Apple Inc. to fund construction work at Station 35. At the same meeting the board removed one consent item from immediate approval and later agreed to table that personnel reclassification until the budget discussion.

Why it matters: The collective bargaining agreement has direct budgetary impact (staff estimated a combined two-year fiscal impact of roughly $4 million) and the Apple MOU commits district capital resources and third-party funding arrangements that affect the district's 2025–26 capital plan.

Key outcomes and figures - Collective bargaining agreement: The board voted unanimously to approve a two-year Memorandum of Agreement effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026. The district estimated the fiscal impact at approximately $2.3 million for fiscal year 2024–25 and about $1.7 million for fiscal year 2025–26 for a combined estimated impact of roughly $4 million over the two-year term. The vote passed unanimously (5–0). - Apple Station 35 Phase 3 MOU: The board approved a revised final Phase 3 MOU with Apple for funding construction, commissioning, special inspections and cost apportionment for Truckee Meadows' Station 35. The MOU allocates an estimated $1,400,000 for the additional apparatus bay and two additional sleeping quarters; the motion passed unanimously (5–0). - Consent item 5(d), executive office manager reclassification: Commissioners pulled consent item 5(d) for discussion. During the budget briefing commissioners repeatedly requested that the matter be folded into the district's overall budget review. The board agreed to table the item and discuss it as part of the budget discussion later in the meeting. Staff indicated the change would be folded into the fiscal-year 2025–26 budget rather than taking immediate, out-of-cycle effect.

Budget context and staff recommendations Cindy Vance, the district's CFO, presented a tentative budget overview for fiscal year 2025–26 that staff said balanced near-term needs while pursuing cost savings and program pauses. Highlights from the presentation: - Revenue and fund balance: Staff showed a projected general-fund beginning fund balance near $5.3 million (the budgeted ending balance for 2024–25) and forecast revenues of roughly $54.0 million for fiscal year 2025–26. Property taxes and consolidated taxes make up the majority of district revenues. - Major cost drivers: Staff identified negotiated salary and benefit increases and a significant PERS employer rate increase as principal budget pressures. Presenters cited a police/fire PERS increase of about 8.75% (regular-plan increase cited at about 3.25%) and said the district incorporated partial offsets in negotiated agreements. - Cost-control measures: To limit near-term expenses the tentative budget assumes delaying hires for certain vacant positions (two fire-prevention positions and a mechanic), holding some captain and firefighter postings open where retirements are known, pausing program budgets (wet-team, hazmat overtime training budgets and green-waste community programs), and postponing a fall recruit class. Staff provided estimated savings: roughly $130,000 for two fire-prevention positions, about $130,000 for a mechanic position and approximately $806,000 from multiple firefighter/captain positions left vacant; staff also cited a $91,000 saving from pausing the green waste program. - Executive role reclassification: Staff and HR described a plan to unfreeze a previously created executive assistant position, reclassify it to an executive office manager, and onboard a current Washoe County employee, Sandy Francis, into that position under district payroll. CFO Vance earlier referenced a roughly $13,000 annual budget effect; HR manager Carla Ribiaga provided a precise comparison of salary maximums that she said increases the position's maximum from $92,980.996 to $108,201, a difference of $15,204.80. Commissioners asked for the reclassification to be considered as part of the final budget and several indicated they preferred the change begin with the July budget cycle rather than immediately.

Board direction and next steps Board members asked staff to return the final budget for public hearing and adoption on the schedule set by state law. Commissioners requested more granular cash-flow and program-cost detail (including the dozer and fuels programs' revenue/cost flows) and said they wanted quarterly budget updates because of near-term revenue uncertainty. The board unanimously approved the Apple MOU and the firefighters' collective bargaining agreement and agreed to table the standalone personnel reclassification so it could be considered in the final budget.