How would you like to have $1.9 million left over in your checkbook at the end of the year?
Fire District 3 did. Last week, FD3’s board of commissioners closed the books on 2001, transferring $1.9 million left over from 2001 to its 2002 budget.
The money is not really extra. Most of it is already spent on the district’s building projects and new equipment. About $1.4 million of it is promised or encumbered dollars, leaving about $418,802 unencumbered or carried over to 2002.
The promised dollars were budgeted previously for construction of the new Freeland fire station, remodeling the existing station in Clinton, and the purchase of a $240,000 fire truck to be delivered this year. A partial payment of $96,000 was made last year to purchase the chassis of the new rig.
Commissioners approved a $1.15 million expenditure budget for 2002 in December. Fire Chief Don Smith trimmed the budget about $14,000 in several areas. The cuts, which were suggested by commissioners, came in staff development and capital expenditures. Smith took about $10,000 out of the staff development budget, which pays to send firefighters and district staff to conferences and other events. Also axed was a $4,000 line item for a riding lawn mower.
Still, it’s not a lot considering how much money is coming in this year.
“We are estimating $1.58 million from 2002 property tax revenue,” Smith said.
Smith noted that for the past five years FD3 has been structuring its growth in an orderly fashion.
“We began by replacing outdated fire equipment,” he said. “The next step is rebuilding the infrastructure in Clinton and Freeland.”
One of the reasons for the new and remodeled stations is to provide overnight facilities for a 24-hour response force. Offices at the Freeland station are also being built for Smith and for the district’s administrative assistant.
Clinton’s remodel is slated for completion this summer, and Freeland’s new station should be finished in September.
Plans for a central station and training facility to be located on 20 acres of FD3 property on Thompson Road is stalled for a time, Smith said.
“We are taking longer to develop it because we are working with the local community who live nearby.”
