The Tangipahoa Parish Fire Board voted to amend its 2025 operating budget and approved the proposed 2026 operating budget during a regular meeting. The motions passed on roll call after discussion about how departmental savings would be handled and how a recent jump in insurance premiums has strained available funds.

Board members adopted TPRFP No. 2, Resolution 25-10 (an amendment to the 2025 annual operating budget) on a motion by Mister Joseph and second by Miss Ciatek. They then approved TPRFP No. 2, Resolution 25-11 (the proposed 2026 annual operating budget) on a motion by Mister Joseph and second by Mister Engraffier. Both measures were recorded as adopted by the membership present.

Why it matters: the budgets set next year’s spending priorities for the fire district that serves parts of Tangipahoa Parish, and board members and department chiefs disagree about how to treat year-end savings — an operational choice that affects smaller, repair-heavy stations.

Department carryover and chiefs’ concerns
Several chiefs objected to a staff proposal to move any department-level savings into a capital outlay line item for that department (described in meeting materials as line item 70,20). One chief identified in the meeting as Johnny said he was worried this would leave departments that face large repair needs (older trucks, pump and PM testing) short of needed repair money: "I don't think it's fair to my department," he said, arguing that his unit has older vehicles and higher repair demands.

Staff and board response
A staff member and the administrator told chiefs that final, department-level numbers would not be available until bills mature after the calendar year and recommended a budget amendment in March to credit departments appropriately. The staff speaker suggested returning with final figures in February or March so the board could decide how to allocate carryover amounts.

Administrator projections and insurance costs
Under figures presented at the meeting, the administrator said the adopted proposed budget includes approximately $10,300,000 in projected revenue and $10,700,000 in projected expenditures; in one passage the administrator noted a $398,000 shortfall and later used an $898,000 figure when describing the district's commitments, including a $500,000 contribution for a Hammond fire truck. The administrator also said the district expects to enter 2026 with a multi‑million-dollar surplus in some projections and that final numbers would be confirmed in March. On the record the administrator described insurance as the largest issue, saying premiums more than doubled in a single year and that the increase absorbed much of the revenue growth.

Measures to limit costs and improve operations
Board members and staff noted steps intended to curb costs: additional ARPA funds were received, revised 9-1-1 dispatch cost estimates were included in the adopted budget, safety meetings and new camera systems are expected to lower claims exposure, and work is underway to consolidate response protocols with 9-1-1 to reduce unnecessary calls. The administrator said the Sam Sarris system will integrate with 9-1-1 and proposed a chiefs' work session early in the year to finalize where response protocols can be trimmed.

Votes at a glance
- Resolution 25-10 (amend 2025 operating budget): Motion by Mister Joseph; second by Miss Ciatek; recorded affirmative roll-call responses from members present; outcome: approved.
- Resolution 25-11 (proposed 2026 operating budget): Motion by Mister Joseph; second by Mister Engraffier; recorded affirmative roll-call responses from members present; outcome: approved.

Next steps
The administrator said final year-end figures should be available in early March and proposed returning with department-level numbers and, if needed, a budget amendment to allocate carryover savings. Board members were asked to close open purchase orders before year-end to speed reconciliation. The meeting adjourned after those administrative items.