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The Lansing Fire Commissioners presented their $1,568,562 budget Tuesday in a budget hearing that attracted only two members of the public.$1,250.346 of that will be raised from property taxes, with the rest expected to come from the sale of surplus equipment.  The rest comes from estimated sales of equipment the district no longer needs.  The good news?  Fire district tax rate remains the same as it was last year, at 94 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

"If we don't get the $150,000 from the sale of the vehicles we'll just take more out of reserves," said District Treasurer George Gesslein.  "We have plenty of reserves we can use."

Gesslein says the property assessment within district borders went up by $10 million this year, which helps keep the tax rate down even when the levy increases.  The total assessment this year is $1,330,483,349.

The district is guided by a 20 year spending plan.  Additionally a state formula determines how much fire districts are allowed to tax.  Gesslein says the 2014 tax levy will be about a half million dollars below that cap.

"We've never come close to that number," Gesslein said.  "The proposed budget for 2014 is actually about a half million dollars less than the proposed budget for 2013.  That's because we don't have all the construction expenses.  We bought a big truck this year.  We try to factor all that in."

He estimated that about half the budget is used 'to keep the doors open', for the district's normal day to day operating costs.  The district owns four fire stations in addition to the fire trucks and other equipment it needs to serve Lansing.  Fire trucks are replaced about every 20 to 25 years.  The rest goes for reserves, replacement equipment, repairs and capital expenditures, which recently included a major addition to Central Station and construction of a new fire station near the Ithaca Mall.

"In my opinion fire trucks are made a little better now," Gesslein said.  "Repair costs are down.  We're able to stretch the 20 year life span, to 23, 24 or 25 without any problems.  That's indicative of better equipment and better maintenance on our part."

Commissioner Alvin Parker added that an annual service contract also keeps fire trucks in better repair.

"I can remember years ago you couldn't get the pumps tested every year," he said.

The three commissioners present, Larry Creighton, Parker and Darrel Rhoads, unanimously passed the budget in the commissioners meeting following the public hearing.

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