Council approves $400 increase to firefighters relief contribution for fiscal 2026

The Janesville City Council approved an increase in the city’s annual municipal contribution to the Janesville Firefighters Relief Association, raising the payment from $2,400 to $2,800 for fiscal year 2026.

Jeremy Earl, president of the relief association, told the council the organization provides retirement, disability and death benefits for volunteer firefighters and said rising administrative costs, changes in state fire aid and market volatility have eroded the value of the current contribution. "We respectfully request an increase... from $2,400 a year to $2,800 starting fiscal year 26," Earl said.

Earl presented state-auditor-based projections and said the association’s conservative assumptions (including a 5% assumed rate of return) mean that a $2,800 contribution is sustainable under current investment returns; he noted that moving to $2,900 could create a modest cost to the city in some scenarios. "If we did go to 2,900 it would cost the city $536 a year," he said.

Councilors debated alternatives, including (a) increasing to $2,800 now and revisiting later, (b) moving to $2,600 and indexing future increases by a percentage, or (c) setting a formulaic annual cost-of-living adjustment. One motion to move in smaller steps (to $2,600 then 5% increases beginning the following year) failed to carry; a subsequent motion to provide the full $2,800 for fiscal 2026 carried.

Councilors asked staff for follow-up reporting and for the relief association to provide comparative data from similarly sized communities in future reports. The motion carried and councilors thanked the firefighters for their service.