Fire Department Funding Hot Topic For Budget Committee
Jefferson County, TN Budget Committee Meeting
Photo by Angie Stanley
The Jefferson County Budget Committee convened Monday evening, May 22, 2017, at the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse, for what would prove to be the final leg in the budget recommendation process. After pushing the item back to accommodate the Public Service Committee, who were to present a recommendation on fire department funding, the Budget Committee tackled the fire department funding issue before a packed room, as concerned citizens made it a standing room only meeting. Monday’s meeting was split into two sections with the first portion largely consisting of general housekeeping items before recessing for a special called meeting of the full Commission body. In total ten citizens addressed the committee regarding the recent decision of two municipalities, the City of White Pine and the Town of Dandridge, to offer contracted fire service to the Jefferson County Commission in exchange for an increase in funding that both municipalities deemed necessary to continue to provide fire service beyond their city limits. White Pine had requested an increase of $20,000 and Dandridge requested a $45,000 increase, with both citing ratio of County to City calls as a cost factor. White Pine shows 50% of their calls outside the city limits and Dandridge shows 80% with the Dandridge Volunteer Fire Department service area servicing 47% of the population of Jefferson County.
David Seal, Chairman of the Public Service Committee brought a recommendation for funding at the current fiscal year’s donation with no increase to any fire department. Committee Members questioned both municipalities, who serve the interstate, about insurance recovery. Town Administrator for the Town of Dandridge Melissa Peagler informed the Committee that there is generally some recovery but it is highly dependent on the type of service and the insurance company involved. She stated that the current fiscal year will see around $15,000 in insurance recovery, which is typical. Peagler also noted that there are inherit risks associated with serving the interstate including equipment impact that is hard to recover and that it was not the financial windfall that some believe it to be.
Committee Member Huffaker brought the first of several motions, moving that the budget reflect level funding for all fire departments @ $55,000 per department ( including Rescue Squad) with the exception of a one year increase of $45,000 to Dandridge, $20,000 to White Pine and $20,000 to New Market for a total one year increase of $85,000. Stipulations to the motion included the formation of an ad hock committee to address the funding rubric during the first part of the fiscal year and, by consent ( Beeler) the requirement to provide service to their regular service area ( with exception of a small portion that was transferred from DVFD to New Market). Her motion was 2nd by Committee Member Baxley. The motion failed 7-3 with Committee Members Huffaker, Baxley, Eslinger voting in favor.
The next attempt at finding a funding solution was offered by Committee Member Tucker and 2nd by Committee Member Douglas. Tucker’s motion did not restore funding to Parrot’s Chapel Fire Department ( which was not originally figured into the funding formula due to late funding request), cut the Jefferson City Fire Department ( which does not serve as a first responder outside the city limits but does provide mutual aid) allocation from $55,000 to zero, and trimmed the Baneberry Fire Department ( previously a sub station of White Pine) from $55,000 to $25,000 and increased the funding to Dandridge $45,000 and White Pine $20,000. Caveats included zero distribution of funds if the department does not service its current area. The motion failed 6-4 with Tucker, Baxley, Eslinger and Beeler voting in favor.
A motion to restore Parrot’s Chapel funding to $25,000 and to increase funding to Dandridge, White Pine and New Market by $10,000 each was offered by Committee Member Carmichael and 2nd by Committee Member Baxley. The motion was amended by Committee Member Huffaker and 2nd by Committee Member McGraw to increase funding to Dandridge $30,000 for a total of $85,000 – to White Pine increase of $15,000 for a total of $70,000 and to New Market increase of $10,000 for a total of $90,000. Jefferson County Finance Director Potts stated that it would be a total of a $25,000 increase above last year’s budget for fire departments. Huffaker motioned that the increase would come from fund balance and accepted the caveat that the departments will continue to service their current service area to receive funding, as well as turn in appropriate paperwork. The amendment passed 8-2 with Committee Members Scarlett and Tim Seals voting no and the motion as amended passed with a like vote.
With the approval of the motion, the County distribution for fire department funding was set to go before the full Commission. It will now pass to the City of White Pine and the Town of Dandridge, both of which fell short of their proposed funding level, to determine if the County funding contribution is a compromise that will work for the 2017/18 fiscal year.
