Council approves $750,000 amendment to fire-department supplemental request while seeking final number to avoid brownouts

The council considered a supplemental appropriation to the fire department after the chief reported that the department had used roughly $1.4 million of its $2 million personnel allotment and estimated an additional infusion could be necessary to reach fiscal year‑end. Anthony Layton, a union representative and longtime resident, urged the council to preserve services and noted community education and opioid‑prevention work tied to the department’s outreach.

The fire chief said the department faced a combination of overtime increases tied to contract changes, injury leave, FMLA and 10 vacancies, and estimated that $500,000 would help but that $1,000,000 would be required to avoid brownouts. Council debate focused on whether the $500,000 transfer proposed that evening was sufficient, how hiring timelines (most new recruits would begin after an April academy) and gear costs for new hires affect the budget, and whether transfers from other departments or free cash could fill gaps. The city manager committed to $750,000 that evening to bridge the period while administration and the chief refine the exact figure and preserve hiring plans.

Councilors stressed the public-safety consequences of brownouts, the long lead time on academy classes and the need for a longer-term staffing plan. The council recorded roll-call votes to amend and then approve the $750,000 figure and asked the administration to return with a definitive number that would ensure no company closures.