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Volunteer fire departments ask for higher aid; commissioners tentatively back modest increases
Summary
Goldblade/Gold Lake Volunteer Fire Department requested $26,050 and reported they would accept $25,000; commissioners discussed parity for small departments and agreed to raise some allocations while seeking other cuts to balance the budget.
Representatives and commissioners discussed funding for volunteer fire departments during the workshop, focusing on fuel and insurance support for small departments. The Goldblade Volunteer Fire Department requested $26,050 and indicated $25,000 would be acceptable; the court discussed whether to raise that allocation and how to treat other small departments.
Commissioners stressed the county’s obligation to core services while balancing support for volunteers who respond to emergencies across precincts. One commissioner said, "$55,000 is nothing, especially for being an adult white volunteer fire department," describing the value of volunteer response work; others asked for parity and suggested modest increases for the smallest departments only if offsets were found elsewhere in the budget. The court directed staff to reflect any agreed changes in the updated budget worksheet.
