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Colorado County approves $300,000 distribution to volunteer fire departments; one department opts out
Summary
The commissioners approved allocation of the county's $300,000 volunteer fire department budget (including a $5,000 Garwood EMS stipend) using the adopted formula and 2025 data; Michelle Lowrance reported Rock Island VFD opted out of funds.
The Colorado County Commissioners Court approved the distribution of county funds to its volunteer fire departments at the Feb. 9 meeting.
County Auditor Michelle Lowrance told the court that the Rock Island Volunteer Fire Department opted out of the disbursement. Judge Pro‑Tem Darrell Gertson moved to approve distributing funds using the adopted formula and actual 2025 submitted data; Commissioner Keith Neuendorff seconded. The motion passed 4–0.
Attachments included in the packet show the county VFD budgeted amount as $295,000 with a separate Garwood EMS stipend of $5,000 for a total of $300,000 to be distributed. The packet provides department‑level figures and the formula methodology (50% of budget allocated by equal share, 50% allocated by an average of population percentage and call percentage), plus requirements for departments to receive funds (e.g., end‑of‑year reports, call recording by county dispatch, current firefighter rosters).
