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Commissioners weigh police, fire and EMS budget strains as paramedicine funding drops next year
Summary
Police and fire leaders outlined staffing shortfalls, rising overtime and equipment needs; fire and EMS warned a paramedicine contract payment will shrink mid‑fiscal year and asked the commission to plan for a funding gap and equipment replacements.
Commissioners heard detailed presentations from public‑safety leaders about personnel, certifications and equipment needs as the city prepares its FY27 budget.
Fire department leadership told commissioners the chief is asking for salary increases and funding for certifications that trigger small hourly raises when staff reach new certifications. The chief noted one paramedic class costs roughly $8,500 per student and that several personnel will become eligible for incremental pay bumps as they complete training.
The paramedicine agreement that supplements EMS operations drew repeated attention. City Manager David Moran summarized the contract’s fiscal profile: the program currently pays the city about $30,000 per month but, under the contract terms discussed, funding would fall to roughly $15,000 per month beginning in November and the agreement is up for renewal in November 2027. Moran said staff must plan FY27 with that scheduled reduction in mind and model options for covering the shortfall.
Police leadership described authorized staffing (23 officers, four civilian slots) and substantial vacancies; the department requested funding to hire three additional officers and up to two patrol vehicles. Commissioners and the chief reviewed the tradeoffs between financing new vehicles through an enterprise (lease) program versus paying cash from capital funds; financing would spread the cash impact but increases annual operating obligations.
Commissioners also pressed on overtime: the police overtime budget was adjusted upward during the current year to $375,000; several members observed that shifting some overtime dollars into hiring could reduce long‑term costs and improve staffing levels.
Why it matters: changes to the paramedicine contract and unresolved staffing gaps in police and fire will directly influence response capacity and annual operating costs. Vehicle and equipment choices (buy vs. lease) create multi‑year commitments that affect future budgets.
What was said (examples): Fire leadership explained that ‘‘paramedic class is $8,500 just for one paramedic student,’’ and David Moran noted the paramedicine contract timing and scheduled reduction in payments. Commissioners asked finance to model FY27 scenarios reflecting reduced paramedicine revenue and the cost of hiring to reduce overtime.
What happens next: Finance and department heads will provide projections (including the paramedicine reduction) and options for vehicle financing and staffing tradeoffs in the next budget workshop. No formal votes or policy changes occurred at this meeting.
