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Burleson staff propose annual fire inspection fees and optional insurer billing; council raises concerns
Summary
Fire chief proposed a tiered annual fire-inspection fee and an insurance-billing program to recover some fire response costs; staff estimated up to ~$145,000/year in potential collections if insurers reimburse; council asked for policy guardrails and debated fairness and collection methods.
The Burleson Fire Department outlined two revenue proposals on July 21: a new annual fire‑inspection fee structure and an optional insurance‑billing program to recover a portion of response costs.
Fire Chief Casey Davis described an inspection program that would move more annual inspection work into the Fire Marshal’s office and away from engine crews, freeing response capacity. Chief Davis said the proposed inspection fees would be tiered by building square footage and that, after benchmarking peer cities, the finance committee recommended a simplified fee schedule. The intent is to fund a dedicated inspector position in the Fire Marshal’s office so that firefighters in operations can focus on emergency preparedness and training.
On billing, Chief Davis outlined a model in which the city would bill insurance carriers for fire‑response services (similar to billing for ambulance services) and described vendor estimates from a billing firm that suggested the city “could get as high as $145,000 a year in cost recovery” in some scenarios, although the vendor cautioned results are unpredictable. Davis emphasized policy guardrails: staff recommended billing only insurers where a claim exists, not pursuing individual residents or using third‑party collection agencies.
Council discussion was mixed. Several members supported the principle of cost recovery, noting that many incidents (including crashes on major thoroughfares) consume a disproportionate share of city resources. Other councilmembers expressed concern about adding fees and the potential for perceived double billing; one councilmember asked what the fees would be used for and whether premiums could be affected. Chief Davis said municipalities that have implemented billing have not reported insurer pushback tied solely to billing practices and reiterated the intent would be to bill insurers, not individuals.
Council asked staff to return with policy language, procurement options for a billing contractor, and a public‑awareness plan before any implementation. Staff indicated a target “go‑live” of January 2026 if council directs the next steps.
