Fire district cuts service, staff to balance budget Fire district cuts service, staff to balance budget (May 26, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District is balancing its budget at last year's level by cutting staff and service to offset increased costs, particularly retirement costs, and state take-aways of property tax revenues.

On May 18, the district board adopted a preliminary operating budget of $18.5 million for fiscal year 2004-05, and $19.8 million in 2005-06. The 2005-06 budget shows a deficit of $794,000.

There are still a lot of uncertainties, particularly about how much money the state will take away to solve its own problems. "It's a shell game. We're not sure," said business manager Leanna Eden in presenting the latest figures. The board will adopt a final budget at its meeting July 20, presumably after the state has adopted its budget.

The budget has been reduced from $20.9 million, fire board member Peter Carpenter noted. "The reductions are in what we have control over. Other costs have gone up."

Two major factors in the cost increases are the rise in pension costs, which is adding $1.1 million this fiscal year, and $500,000 next year, Fire Chief Paul Wilson said. In addition, the state's take-back of property taxes is now calculated at $719,252 this fiscal year, and $980,000 next. "We're hoping the state won't take the full amount," he said.

Meanwhile, the board will decide in the next few weeks whether to ask the district's property owners to approve a new tax on themselves by creating an assessment district.

The cuts are concentrated in five areas, Chief Wilson said. The district will:

** Discontinue its subsidy to the ambulance stationed at the district's Middlefield Road headquarters. The ambulance will remain, but will be operated by AMR, the county's ambulance contractor.

** Eliminate 3-1/2 full-time positions: one division chief and 2-1/2 firefighters. Since these positions are now vacant, no one will be fired.

** Reduce compensatory time.

** Reduce overtime, services and supplies.

** Stop staffing one fire truck, known as a pumper truck, for 180 nights during the year at the Middlefield Road station, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Leaving a pumper truck unstaffed overnight at that station means that nearby emergency calls will be answered by a ladder truck -- which has no ability to handle water, Chief Wilson said. That means that in case of fires, pumper trucks will have to be called from other fire stations.

"There will be a reduction of service to the community," he said.

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