Archive: News

Responding to a state comptroller's audit that accused the Lansing Fire district of overtaxing, Commissioners passed a resolution to limit their unappropriated fund balance to 15% of appropriations during budget planning.  Auditors accused the district of collecting taxes they were not using, but district officials countered that delays in major capital projects made it appear they had collected too much money while the reality was the money was being used for a major renovation of Central Station, and a new fire station that just began service in the Village of Lansing.  Even so, Treasurer George Gesslein says the district currently has about $2.6 million in cash, including $1.6 million in reserves. 

"That leaves a million dollars," Gesslein explained.  "I've got expenses for the rest of the year that I think will be about $160,000.  We're allowed a balance of $180,000.  I think we need to look at putting the remaining $500,000 to $600,000 in the apparatus reserve to fund future trucks as we go along."

The Comptroller's office gave the district 90 days to respond to its audit with a corrective plan.  That meant a plan had to be forwarded to Albany last Wednesday.  On Tuesday Gesslein told fire commissioners district's attorney had not yet reviewed the draft he had prepared.  he aded that bringing projects in under budget have also contributed to a surplus.

"We have too much money," he said.  "We've saved so much money on these construction projects.  The Comptroller's auditors didn't like the fact that we're still sitting on it.  They want it used for something."

That 'something' is on the books.  All four fire stations have or will undergo major renovations.  The two largest capital projects are now completed, though both project suffered years of delays.  The $2.3 million Central Station addition was expected to be complete last January, but construction delays, a leaky roof and municipal paperwork held up the project, which was finally finished just over a year ago.  The $750,000, 63,000 square foot Oakcrest Road fire station in the Village of Lansing replaces a smaller 1972 building that was too small for modern fire equipment and had deteriorated to the point where it might have been condemned.  With more than half of Lansing's emergency calls coming from the Village, the new station will mean faster responses in the south of the town.

Stations four and five in the northern portion of the town are also slated to be updated.  Commissioners are working on a plan to renovate Station 4 in North Lansing, including repairs to the equipment bay, improvements to the kitchen which is extensively used by the North Lansing Auxiliary for its popular pancake breakfasts and election meals.  Once that is under way commissioners plan to look at repairs and upgrades to Station 3 in Lansingville.


An approximately half million dollar pumper-tanker is being prepared for delivery now, and the district is scheduled to purchase a quint (a combination fire engine that serves five purposes including a pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders) in 2016.  Today a new quint costs between a half million to a million dollars.

Gesslein says that with the district in good financial shape the tax levy will not be raised over the next several years, despite the planned capital projects and equipment purchases.  The resolution to contain surplus funds is expected to satisfy the Comptroller's office,

"The proposed budget for 2014 has been given to the Town and the tax cap reporting forms have been completed for the state," he reported to the Fire Commissioners Tuesday.  "We're under the 2% -- actually it's 1.5% this year -- tax cap.  We need to send the corrective action report to the Comptroller's office."

Gesslein said the report needed to be sent Wednesday, but the district's attorney had not yet reviewed the draft he had prepared.  He continued to defend the district's handling of taxpayer money as financially responsible.

"If you come in under budget during the year you wind up with unanticipated cash," Gesslein explained.  "That can be one of two things: you're either budgeting too much or you're saving too much money.  A big number right now is apparatus repair, the repair of big fire trucks.  We are way under budget on that, but all it takes is one truck having a major problem and we're up to budget again."

The five Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to limit the unappropriated fund balance to 15% of appropriations during budget planning.  The resolution says that if more is left over at the end of a budget year it will be allocated to appropriate capital reserve funds for use in future years."

Gesslein says that once the bills are paid and the auditors complete their report commissioners will know for sure how much money can be designated for reserves.  He said there should be around $180,000 for that purpose.  Currently reserve funds are between $1.3 and $1.6 million.

v9i37