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Monroe: Fire department makes up $17 million of $72 million general fund; chief outlines staffing
Summary
City Assistant Manager and Fire Chief Ron Fowler say the fire department receives $17,000,000 of the city’s $72,000,000 general fund and employs roughly 109 full‑time staff (plus two part‑time), with a new recruit class graduating as the city fills recent retirements.
The City of Monroe allocates $17,000,000 of a $72,000,000 general fund to its fire department, a significant portion of municipal spending, Assistant City Manager Lisa Hollowell said on the city’s Monroe Living podcast.
“So, we have, a budget, we have a general fund budget of 72,000,000, and 17,000,000 of that is the fire department,” Hollowell said. Fire Chief Ron Fowler described the department’s current staffing as effectively full, noting at various points “almost 110 full time employees” and later describing the department’s composition as 109 full‑time and two part‑time positions. Fowler also said three vacancies exist today following recent retirements.
Fowler said the department expects to replenish ranks: “We have 9 new firefighters, recruits that started back in February,” and a new recruitment period will open in late summer or early fall to fill remaining openings. The department’s personnel growth has been steady since the 1999 separation of fire from police, Fowler added.
