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Fire Commissioners met Tuesday to set the 2010 budget for the Lansing Fire District.  While the $1,340,696 2010 budget is slightly higher than this year's, the tax rate will be a penny less, going from 99 cents to 98 cents.  The rise in the budget is largely due to increases in insurance, planned apparatus purchases, and plans to turn old bunking space into offices after the new addition is completed.

Commissioners Robert Wagner, Jeff Walters, Alvin Parker, Larry Creighton, and Michael Day met with District Treasurer George Gesslein and Fire Chief Scott Purcell, going through each line item methodically.  Purcell brought a detailed breakdown of department budget requests, and Gesslein provided a 20 year financial plan and a 20 year capital plan.

Purchase of some new apparatus was put off for future years, because Purcell says the trucks are in good shape and are expected to last longer than originally estimated.  But Commissioners budgeted $115,000 to replace a crew cab pickup truck and a chief vehicle.  Other increased line items included Repairs to Buildings and Grounds, Repairs to Equipment, Hospital and Medical, and the Building Reserve fund.  11 line items saw reductions as commissioners carefully tracked current spending and tried to estimate rises in costs.

The 20 year budget plan calls for the tax rate to remain at 99 cents until 2016, when it will be reduced to 95 cents.  Another reduction to 90 cents is planned for 2020.

After the line by line review was completed Commissioner Jeff Walters suggested lowering the tax rate from 99 cents to 98 as a 'thank you' to the community for passing the planned renovation of Central Fire Station.  Gesslein calculated that a one cent reduction will amount to $13,543 in the 2010 budget.  The money was taken out of the building reserve item.

The reduction is largely symbolic, as the 2010 budget will be $46,168 more than last year.  However many line items are going to be underspent this year, providing more cushioning for future building projects and apparatus purchases.  That approach paid off for the District this year when voters agreed to allow Commissioners to go forward with a $2.3 million building project to rennovate Central Station that will include a new equipment bay, decontamination rooms, and a bunking facility.  It is the first major rennovation since the building was first constructed 30 years ago, and will address a number of pressing building code issues.  The project will be paid for from reserves and low cost loans the interest of which has already been planned for, at no additional charge to the taxpayers.

A public hearing will be held next month prior to approving the budget.

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