BERLIN – Berlin officials praised recent budget negotiations with the Berlin Fire Company but stressed that there was room for improvement in the coming year.
Representatives from the Berlin Fire Company presented town officials with a $663,000 funding request Monday during the town’s final budget work session. Berlin Mayor Gee Williams expressed appreciation for the detailed financial information the fire company provided but said in an interview Tuesday it was unlikely the town would be able to provide $663,000. Much of the town’s funding for the coming year has already been allocated, as the budget process began in February.
“There’s no way we’re going to be able to come up with the full request,” Williams said. “There’s going to be very little wiggle room at this late stage.”
David Fitzgerald, president of the Berlin Fire Company, explained during Monday’s work session that the organization was seeking a town grant of $290,000 to support its EMS program and a grant of $373,000 to support its fire service. He said the proposed fire service grant would, when paired with funding from the state, county and donations, would help the organization cover its projected $838,000 in annual expenses.
The EMS grant, Fitzgerald said, would help fund the fire company’s ambulance service — a $1.3 million annual expense.
While the Berlin Fire Company does receive donations for both fire and EMS service, Fitzgerald pointed out those donations were subject to what the community had to give. He added that fire company fundraisers were not always profitable.
“Some are successful, some are not,” he said.
Fitzgerald provided town officials with the funding formulas Worcester County used to determine fire and EMS grant amounts for local companies. He suggested Berlin begin using a formula to determine the Berlin Fire Company’s annual grants.
“It would make it easier on us,” he said.
Fitzgerald also showed town leaders data on the fire and EMS calls the Berlin Fire Company had handled during the past five years. The majority of EMS calls — 57.66 percent in 2014 — were in-town calls. The majority of fire calls, however, are typically outside of town. Although the number has not yet been finalized, data presented Monday shows that 36 percent of fire calls in 2014 were for in-town incidents.
Williams and the town’s council members said they were pleased with Fitzgerald’s detailed presentation but added that it would be more beneficial if it could come at the beginning of the town’s budget process, not the end.
“We just have to keep working on it,” Williams said. “It’s much easier to understand than three years ago.”
Since the town cut funding to the fire company in 2012 following allegations of harassment by some of its members, town officials and fire company leaders have tried to re-establish a working relationship between the two entities. Though the town provided the organization with no financial support in FY 2013, it gave the Berlin Fire Company $200,000 in FY 2014 and $400,000 in FY 2015.
Berlin officials are expected to introduce the town’s proposed FY 2016 budget at the May 26 meeting of the Mayor and Council.