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Fire chief reports salaries below projections, overtime slightly over target after recent hires
Summary
Norwalk City Fire Chief McKague told the Fire Commission that salaries are running below budget by about $197,000 for the year so far while overtime remains elevated; he credited recent hires for starting to reduce overtime pressure.
Norwalk City Fire Chief McKague told the Fire Commission on Feb. 17 that seven months into the fiscal year the department’s salaries account is at 56.85% utilization — about 1.48 percentage points under budget, which McKague said equates to roughly $197,000 below projections — and the overtime account stands at 59.21%.
McKague said the overtime figure is "about 0.87% over target," and attributed an improving trend to the hiring of seven firefighters last November to fill vacancies. He said the department absorbed retroactive contractual salary increases in this year’s budget, which added pressure early in the fiscal year, and pledged ongoing monitoring of expenditures with adjustments "where possible."
Mayor Barbara Smith asked whether the recent string of broken pipes could reflect age or exposure; McKague and the operations chief explained many incidents were driven by prolonged deep cold and, in some cases, insufficient insulation or maintenance on building plumbing.
Commissioners did not request further budget action at the meeting. The commission accepted the chief’s report and offered no follow-up motions.
