The Falcon Fire Protection District board approved the district’s 2011 budget at the December meeting. The budget has been sliced by more than a million bucks.Compared with the amended 2010 budget – $3,473,915; the 2011 budget has been cut by $1,364,264, for a total of $2,109,651.”With the exception of salaries and benefits, every line item has been cut,” said Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig. “In a lot of cases, we’re back to 2007 and 2006 rates, so it’s a tight budget.”Legal fees, capital purchases for new equipment, training and maintenance programs received the majority of cuts, he said.Seventy-three percent of the budget is salary and benefits for 25 paid full-time and seven paid part-time firefighters, two paid full-time administrative personnel and one paid part-time mechanic.Thirteen percent ($208,750) is debt service for the lease purchase of the new fire station, Harwig said, adding that $1,475,256 is owed on the station.The district’s fund balance, which is $12,878, carries over to 2011, Harwig said. He expects to receive the remaining $2,096,733 from several sources:
| $141,508 | donations, reimbursements and grants (estimated) |
| $1,780,058 | mill levy on real property (final from the county assessor’s office) |
| $169,167 | special ownership tax on vehicle registrations (estimated |
| $5,968 | deposit interest (estimated) |
The budget includes $30,000 to cover the cost of a mail-in ballot election in November to raise the district’s mill levy, which is likely a necessity because of declining property values that take effect in 2012.”With the reduction in assessed values, we’re looking at a probable reduction of $300,000 (in revenue) going into 2012,” Harwig said.
2010 budget amendedThe FFPD board also amended its 2010 budget.The amendment was necessary to account for $210,593 compensation received from the district’s insurance company because of the 1985 GMC pumper/tender truck that was stolen, wrecked and irreparable.To replace the truck, the district paid $260,408 for a new truck, which caused 2010 expenditures to increase by $49,815, for a total of $3,473,915.If not for the wrecked truck, the district would have under spent the 2010 budget by $40,000, Harwig said.
BLR excluded from districtThe $300,000 reduction expected in 2012 includes the $43,000 in revenue that will be lost as the result of a court decision to exclude the Banning Lewis Ranch development from the FFPD, per a request from Colorado Springs.Harwig said, as far as he’s aware, it’s the first request of this kind for Colorado Springs.Like other properties in the FFPD within the city’s limits, BLR had been double-taxed.The FFPD is collecting about $20,000 a year from other properties along Marksheffel Road within the FFPD and Colorado Springs’ city limits.”Our understanding is the city is not going to pursue excluding those properties – it would be up to the individuals,” he said.
Dena Bramhall resignsDena Bramhall has resigned from the FFPD board, citing three jobs and a divorce as the reasons.The board voted to solicit letters of interest from people who would like to be considered for appointment to the board’s vacant seat. The deadline for submitting a letter of interest and resume is 4 p.m. Jan. 7.Board president Mike Collins said the board plans to interview applicants in January and announce the appointment at the board’s regularly scheduled Jan. 19 meeting.
Volunteers wantedHarwig said the district is looking for new volunteer firefighters ready to start training at the beginning of February.”We’re expecting a large number of applicants, but we only have resources to accommodate 15 applicants,” he said.The new volunteers will be busy.In November, the district’s 33 volunteers logged 744 hours of in-station duty – equivalent to 51 24-hour shifts, he said.Battalion Chief Jeff Petersma said there were 97 calls in November: 65 percent were related to emergency medical services, 9 percent motor vehicle accidents and 7 percent fire.
