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Fire district puts fiscal brakes on

By Meg Olson

The continuing program of financial austerity at the Point Roberts fire department may be reaching its goal ­ having the department live within its means.

At their April 10 meeting commissioners asked staff to prepare a revised budget for the year in which expenses would come in under the department’s annual income, rather than $50,000 over. “My goal is to keep expenses in line with tax revenue,” said commission chairman Jesse Lofquist. “You’re on track for that,” said North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Services finance director Kent McLelland.

McLelland said that so far this year the department had been consistently under budget. “We had budgeted for two positions and that makes up most of the difference of the $50,000 you were drawing into reserves,” he said. Division chief Nick Kiniski was initially one of two professional firefighters assigned to the Point. He is now the only full-time employee and sees cost saving possibilities beyond payroll. “I think we’re over budgeted,” he said. “I see a lot of money.”

In reviewing budget performance for the first quarter McLelland showed almost all expenditures under budgeted amounts with the exception of legal fees which are already $2,280 over the $1,000 budgeted for the year, largely due to district 5’s share of NWFRS legal expenses related to wrangling with personnel and the suspension of chief Mike Campbell. At their April meeting commissioners asked staff to begin preparing to boost department incomes so they can ease up on the penny-pinching and have the same taxing rate as other NWFRS members. They propose to ask voters to increase the levy $1.27 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. “Our strategic plan and the desire of the taxpayers is that they receive a higher level of service,” Lofquist said. “Our current levy is enough for fire protection but we don’t have enough for emergency medical services.”

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