Brandon Twp.- The township board and Ortonville Village Council unanimously approved 2016 fire department budgets during a special joint meeting Aug. 26.
The fire equipment and housing budget was approved with anticipated 2016 revenues of $318,569 and expenses of $521,130. The nearly $200,000 discrepancy is no cause for alarm, as Fire Chief Dave Kwapis explained that the expenditure figure includes $180,000 budgeted for parking lot improvements for Fire Station #2. The improvements were originally budgeted for 2015, but will carry over to 2016 due to difficulties finding a contractor to do the work this year.
‘We had to show it in the budget for both years,? said Kwapis. ‘We put it out for bid, it could be done this fall, or next summer.?
The village council and township board also approved the fire department’s proposed 2016 operating budget, with revenues of $1,755,165 and expenditures of $1,885,000. The department will take money from reserves to make up the difference, leaving the operating budget with a projected fund balance at the end of the 2016 fiscal year of $4,007, but Kwapis said historically, the department spends far less than what is budgeted.
‘We don’t know how many calls and how much payroll will be used for full-time and part-time on callbacks,? he said. ‘We will have reserves, but have to plan for worst case scenario… Revenues are going up. If something happens tomorrow and property tax values take a huge hit, it puts us in a different boat, but right now all indications are there will be a two to four percent increase in property revenue and this is a big dollar amount for us.?
Kwapis has budgeted for up to a 3 percent wage increase for fire department employees, although raises have not yet been approved by the fire authority, village council and township board. Last year, employees received a 2 percent wage increase, their first raise in five years.
Fire millage rates are proposed to be levied at the same rate as last year, 3.8000 for operating, and .5905 for equipment and housing.