Chief asks for 3.54% budget increase to chip away at $86,000 structural deficit

At the Ripon Fire District meeting the chief presented a draft budget that requests a 3.54% increase over last year to address ongoing shortfalls and to fund staffing and capital needs.

"In totality, we are asking for a 3.54% increase over what we had last year," the chief said, adding that the district has been working against "what was about an 86,000 dollar a year structural deficit." He told the board the proposal spreads the use of fund balance more conservatively and prioritizes daytime coverage, maintenance and deferred building repairs.

The chief described a staffing model that would place the chief, a staff member identified in discussion as Heather, and two full-time 40-hour firefighters on day shift so a vehicle is staffed five days a week for 10 hours. He said that model would provide reliable immediate response capability, reduce the frequency of paging large numbers of paid-on-call responders, and improve inspection coverage.

Board members asked for clarifications on specific line items and subaccount reporting; the chief and staff said detailed budget reports would be available ahead of the October budget hearing. Several members noted that reducing the structural deficit will take multiple budget cycles and that the board will continue to explore grants and other revenue sources to offset long-term costs.