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Volunteer fire department urges higher stipends; council asks staff to run numbers
Summary
The volunteer fire department asked the council to double clothing allowances and line-officer stipends that haven’t been adjusted in 15 years; council agreed to request numbers and return with ordinance language and budget impacts, noting parity with the ambulance corps may be necessary.
A representative of the volunteer fire department told the council March 17 that clothing allowances, line-officer stipends and other volunteer payments have not been updated in 15 years and are out of step with current costs.
The representative proposed doubling the clothing‑allowance allocation (from $25,000 to $50,000) and increasing officer stipends (the chief’s annual stipend cited at $2,800) to more realistic levels. Council members discussed the fact that actual annual clothing spending has historically been less than the allocation and asked the fire department to quantify need. Several councilors said the ambulance corps would require comparable treatment.
Council directed staff to run the numbers and return with ordinance language and fiscal impact at a future meeting. Members also asked the administrator to check IRS reporting thresholds and other reporting requirements before making permanent changes.
Next steps: administration to prepare cost estimates and draft ordinance language for council consideration.
