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Tonawanda council tables fire‑company stipend amid heated debate over receipts and oversight
Summary
Council members and volunteer fire company representatives clashed over a historical $7,500 annual stipend for volunteer companies, with some members urging safeguards and receipt reporting while supporters called the payment essential for recruiting volunteers; three related resolutions were tabled for further review.
Council members and volunteer fire company representatives engaged in an extended public discussion on March 3 about the city’s historical practice of providing each volunteer fire company with a $7,500 annual stipend.
Council member Christopher Fisher, who proposed continuing the stipend, argued the payment is a longstanding method of compensating volunteer manpower and supplies and urged the body to “give them the $7,500, enter into a contract and put this behind us.” Several volunteer leaders said current bookkeeping includes independent reviews every three months and multiple signatories on checks;…
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