Council approves funding for three battalion chiefs after budget debate

The City of Clermont City Council voted 3–1 on April 14 to fund three battalion chief positions and transfer money from an EMS transport line into the fire department budget, authorizing staff to proceed with hiring and related steps.

The item — pulled from the consent agenda for discussion — would move funds budgeted in an EMS transport account into the fire division to pay for three 24-hour battalion chief positions the fire chief said are needed to maintain appropriate supervision as new stations come online. The chief told council the department is at the limit of its span of control and that adding the three positions is essential to safely manage roughly 95 firefighters under three existing battalion chiefs.

Council members debated process and long-term budget effects more than operational need. One council member argued the transfer looked like an intra-general-fund reallocation that should instead be handled as a formal budget adjustment; others said the funding already exists in the general fund and the transfer would not increase overall spending. Concerns centered on whether staffing decisions are being made in “silos” — adding fire positions now and police positions later — which could raise the baseline going into the FY27 budget and complicate fiscal planning.

A motion to table the item to the April 28 meeting so all council members could participate and receive consolidated information failed on a 2–2 voice vote. A subsequent motion to approve the funding passed 3–1; the chair recorded a no vote. The council directed staff to return with any requested clarifications on funding mechanics if needed for follow-up documentation.

The chief said hiring/testing timelines were imminent (testing was scheduled for April 29) and that delaying council approval would create hiring uncertainty but would not stop existing work to ready stations. Staff explained the recommended transfer moved an already-budgeted line item from an EMS transport account into the fire account because the EMS transport program has not been implemented and the dollars were not being spent for transport.

The council also discussed Fire Station 5 (Wellness Way) timelines and whether the battalion chiefs were required to open that station; staff said the positions would be timed to the station opening and that a temporary facility option with a private partner could allow earlier occupancy. Council members asked for clarity on the total cost and how the near-term expenditures would affect the next fiscal-year baseline. Staff gave the FY26 first-year cost as approximately $335,108 (with a full-year cost in FY27 of about $670,215 noted during discussion).

The council’s approval authorizes staff to proceed with the hires and the transfer mechanism described; any formal budget-adjustment paperwork will be prepared consistent with the council’s request to document the movement of funds.