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Commissioner urges explicit recognition of volunteer fire department budget role; commission keeps budgeting procedures in ordinance
Summary
Commissioners debated whether volunteer departments should be explicitly recognized in the Charter's budgeting language; Mary McCormick pressed for explicit wording and technical assistance while others argued budget procedures belong in ordinance to preserve flexibility.
Commissioner Mary McCormick told the Government Study Commission the revised charter language appeared to concentrate budget authority with the Director of Fire Services and risked obscuring volunteer departments' ability to prepare and submit their own budgets. McCormick said volunteers "often lack administrative resources" and urged that volunteer participation in preparing budgets be explicitly acknowledged and supported with technical assistance if Option 2 is adopted.
Commissioner Chad Silk countered that volunteer departments are already authorized by ordinance to prepare and submit annual budgets and cautioned that embedding detailed budget procedures in the Charter would "unnecessarily limit future flexibility." County Attorney Mike Enrooth agreed the county's budgeting process mirrors other departments—divisions prepare budgets that flow through department leadership to the Budget Director—and confirmed volunteers currently have authority under ordinance to prepare budgets. The Commission settled on keeping broad governance language in the Charter and leaving operational budget procedures to ordinance, while noting the Commission would seek ways to support volunteers' budget preparation.
