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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; one volunteer representative said, “We have 3 independent people all over our treasurer’s books” explaining their internal checks.
Other council members and the mayor pushed for greater transparency. Council President Jenna Cook and others said taxpayer funds require accountability and asked for receipts or a clearer reporting process. The mayor warned he would veto a payment resolution that lacked such documentation unless it met his threshold: “If they pass this without receipts, I will veto it,” he said.
The dispute centered on two competing priorities: making the stipend easy for volunteer organizations to access in order to maintain recruitment and readiness, and ensuring city oversight so taxpayer funds are traceable. Volunteers said many small purchases are made with cash or online and that requiring receipts in all cases can be impractical; council members countered that modern online invoices and brief monthly statements should be feasible and would protect both citizens and the companies.
After debate, the council defeated an amendment changing payment terms and then voted to table Resolutions 7, 8 and 9 — the measures related to volunteer company payments — to give members time to seek documentation and to craft an agreement that balances oversight with operational practicality. Council members suggested a compromise of more frequent reporting (every few months) and clarified allowable expense categories in any contract.
The council also discussed longer-term recruitment incentives for volunteers, including possibilities such as pension credits or other benefits used by neighboring municipalities, but made no policy change at the meeting. Members agreed to continue conversations with the volunteer companies and to revisit the matter after receiving additional documentation and proposed contract language.
