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Weston officials seek $600,000 referendum to add six firefighters amid staffing shortfalls
Summary
Village of Weston leaders proposed a 2026 referendum to add six full‑time firefighters (about $104,000 each) to reduce delayed ambulance and fire responses, citing staff shortages, rising health‑insurance and supply costs, and recent service gaps that included a house destroyed by fire.
Jamie Gabbert, village administrator for Weston, and Chief Finke presented a proposal on the 2026 referendum that would add six full‑time firefighter positions and an ongoing $600,000 increment to the village’s operating levy to pay for them. Jessica Troutman, Weston’s finance director, said the estimated cost is roughly $104,000 per additional firefighter and the village cannot absorb the hires within the allowable levy increases without voter approval.
The referendum would permanently add about $600,000 to the levy base, Gabbert said, and would not itself increase annually. "It's the $600,000 that's added to the levy base, and it just continues going forward," Gabbert said. Troutman explained that limited net new construction revenue and an annual county‑level cap on levy growth leave little room for the village to fund the hires without a referendum.
Chief Finke told attendees the district has shifted from relying on part‑time or volunteer staff toward full‑time employees…
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