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Council approves $3 million one‑time fire service contingency; companies must apply for funds
Summary
Council adopted Substitute No.1 to Ordinance 25‑053, appropriating $3,000,000 from the general‑fund tax stabilization reserve to assist eligible fire companies with personnel salary and benefit costs. The measure requires a memorandum of agreement, application by Aug. 15 and council approval of individual allocations; vote was unanimous.
New Castle County Council on June 24 approved Substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25‑053, a one‑time $3,000,000 appropriation from the general‑fund tax stabilization reserve to help county fire companies cover personnel salary and benefit costs.
The substitute allocates the funds to a competitive, accountable process. Each fire company must execute a memorandum of agreement (Exhibit B to the ordinance), meet reporting requirements and submit a grant funding request to the county. Under the substitute, the office of finance will confirm eligibility and allocations, and council will consider each company’s funding request at a public meeting. The deadline for companies to submit requests after ordinance passage is August 15 (as stated in the substitute’s terms reported at the meeting).
Council members described the appropriation as a stopgap to address critical staffing and financial stress identified in the county’s FACET study of fire services, which found many volunteer units have shifted to paid staffing and that some companies face fiscal strain. The FACET study and subsequent audits were discussed in committee and cited by council members advocating the appropriation.
Council members stressed accountability. Councilman John Cartier (introducing the substitute) described the package as narrowly defined and conditioned on documented expenses for full‑time and part‑time employees. Councilman Smiley said the substitute and the required memorandum addressed his prior concerns and that fire companies would be present at council when individual awards are considered.
Public testimony included Dennis Kodak, chair of the Fire and Ambulance Advisory Board, who said the leadership committee and associations representing the 21 county fire companies had been coordinating proposals and would provide the necessary reporting and transparency.
Vote and implementation: The roll call for the substitute was unanimous (13 yes). Because the appropriation draws on the tax stabilization reserve, adoption required a supermajority; council approved the appropriation and set the administrative process for distribution. Individual grant requests meeting the memorandum’s eligibility requirements will require a simple majority for approval when they come to the council.
Speakers quoted above spoke during the ordinance discussion and public comment portion of the June 24 meeting.
