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Four Chester County fire districts present FY2026–27 budget requests, cite staffing and equipment needs
Summary
Representatives from Chester, Lewis, Lando and Fort Lawn fire districts presented FY2026–27 budgets at the April 2 workshop, seeking increased county support to cover salaries, equipment and station maintenance; Fort Lawn’s $396,000 request exceeds its anticipated revenue and county staff said they will revisit the proposal.
Four rural fire districts presented their FY2026–27 budget requests to the Chester County Council at the April 2 workshop, outlining personnel, equipment and station needs tied to steady growth in call volume and service responsibilities.
Sean Nelson, consultant and CPA for the Chester Fire District, said the district will transition from a long‑standing service contract with the City of Chester to independent operations on July 1 when the contract expires. The district adopted a $2.715 million budget for FY2026–27 (about a $50,000 increase over the prior year), roughly $2.2 million of which is for salaries, benefits, retirement and payroll taxes. Nelson reported a fund balance of about $1.6 million and listed operations, station maintenance, IT, repairs and insurance among budget drivers.
Chief Robert Abell told councilors the Lewis Fire District seeks about $142,000 in total funding for the year, roughly $18,000 more than last year’s budget; the increase primarily covers higher full‑ and part‑time salary costs while county and consultant fees decline by approximately $5,000.
Chief Darius Murphy presented Lando Fire District’s request for $270,000, up from $239,000 the previous year. Murphy said the district experienced steady growth across several subdivisions and handled about 400 calls last year. He identified personnel as the largest budget component (about $160,000, including six full‑time firefighters supported through a county partnership), and listed $27,000 for equipment replacement, $19,000 for maintenance across three stations and $1,300 for fire‑prevention materials.
Al Bellavance of the Fort Lawn Fire District Commission presented a $396,000 request driven largely by staffing and specialized equipment needs. Treasurer Tommy Darby noted the Fort Lawn request exceeds the district’s anticipated revenue; County Administrator Brian Hester said staff would revisit the Fort Lawn budget and work with the district to develop a proposal that fits county budget parameters.
Council members asked clarifying questions (not detailed in the record) and did not take formal votes on the district budgets during the workshop. The meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
