Fire board discusses financial issues

By Michael Westblade

The Smithville Area Fire Protection District may be asking patrons for more money in the near future.

At the monthly fire board meeting held April 30, Fire Chief John Callahan recommended the board look closely at its finances as well as mechanisims to increase funding for the August ballot .

“I’m talking about moving the district forward,” he said. “We’re in extreme peril financially. Basically, this budget year, we had to take about $54,000 out of a reserve of about $164,000 to balance the budget. Realistically, with fuel costs and health insurance going up, we may have to take more out. In fiscal year, 2009, we’ll burn all of our reserve to maintain our operating budget. We all agree we need to do something to ensure we have a fire department.”

Callahan also invited Greg Bricker, senior vice president at George K. Baum and Co., to present information to the board.

With the department’s current budget, Callahan said he couldn’t offer the amount of fire protection he would like to be able to offer.

“I’ll guarantee I can send a pumper with two firefighters,” he said. “It might be more, but that’s my best guarantee with our budget situation. This is important. This could be your family member.”

Berry Parks, fire board president, also agreed something needed to be done about the state of the budget.

“We can’t maintain what we’re doing now and provide fire protection to the district,” he said.

Callahan didn’t go into specifics with the bond issue, because he said he wanted to make sure the citizen advisory committee had a chance to review the department’s recommendations and give its own recommendations before the fire board’s next meeting May 22.

Callahan said he hopes to have the citizens advisory committee formed and ready to meet at least twice in May before the fire board meeting to discuss the bond issue.

“We’re rocking and rolling, and I guarantee if I have to stay up all night, I’ll have 25 people on that committee,” he said. “The whole thing is to make this committee diverse; not just people in the city, but the whole fire protection district.”

Callahan said he hopes with the citizens advisory committee he can convince Smithville of the department’s need for growth.

“We’re your fire department, and we’re going to come help you, but we need your help, too,” he said. “This isn’t something where we want to have a great kingdom. We just want the tools we need to protect the community.”

While the board members supported the bond issue, they agreed to wait to vote on it to make sure there was input from the citizens advisory committee before they put anything in writing.

Smithville reporter Michael Westblade can be reached at 532-4444 or michaelwestblade@npgco.com.