Story originally printed in the Coulee News or online at www.couleenews.com
Published - Friday, August 22, 2008
Referendum a possibility to cover fire protection costs
The West Salem Fire Protection District is taking its cash problem to the taxpayers.
After backing off threats earlier this year to begin charging for fire calls, the fire district is looking to make up for its budget shortfall with a referendum.
West Salem Village Board members learned of the proposed referendum at their Monday meeting.
At its Aug. 19 meeting, the village Finance and Personnel Committee recommended the board work toward putting the referendum on the November ballot.
In its upcoming budget, the fire protection district is asking for $184,662.63 from the village. It’s also asking for $141,575.28 from the town of Hamilton and $62,293.30 from the town of Barre.
Village Administrator Teresa Schnitzler said passage of referendum would allow the village to increase its budget the 11 percent needed to cover its share of the fire district’s needs.
The board will have to pass a resolution on the referendum at its Sept. 2 meeting to give the county clerk’s office enough time to put it on the ballot for Nov. 4.
In a phone interview Tuesday, WSFPD President Reuben Oldenburg blamed the cash problem on a number of unfunded state mandates.
“You have to have it if you want to have a right fire department and take care of the public the way it’s supposed to be taken care of,” he said, referring to state-mandated equipment.
Oldenburg said the fire district was $60,000 short in its last budget.
If the referendum fails, Oldenburg said, “we’re going to have to charge for calls.”
In May, Trustee Merlin Wehrs said the department could recoup about $5,000 a year if the district charged for fire calls.
“We need the money and that’s just the way it is. So the levies have got to be raised so we can continue to have a good fire department with good equipment,” Oldenburg said.
See next week’s Coulee News for more on the Aug. 19 West Salem Village Board meeting.
All stories copyright 2006 Coulee News and other attributed sources.