Being responsible and accountable............
Being responsible and accountable to the needs of the people of the Lehigh Acres fire district should be the way of the future for its fire board. The district is in the customer service business.
But this current fire board, with four fire fighters on it, is just about to make a 38.6 million dollar mistake that will have repercussions for years to come for your children and their children.
Most people in Lehigh Acres would agree that firefighters did an excellent job protecting our homes and lives, especially during the fire this last April; but by just looking at this budget and the questionable items in it, and the lack of prevention items needed, it would be very easy to cut 7-10 million dollars and still have one of the most effective fire departments in the county.
The current board is still borrowing 8 million dollars to build two new stations at the cost of 5.8 million for both; why do we need the extra 2.2 million that we, the citizens, must pay back?
Chief Adams has a line item in the budget called contingencies for $515,000, and almost all budgeted accounts have some form of a miscellaneous line item in them, with a grand total over $20,000 in this budget.
So between the so-called reserved fund and contingency fund, plus miscellaneous line items, we have over 10.6 million dollars of possible cuts that can be made in this budget. Most accountants believe there should never be a miscellaneous line item, and all items must be accounted for somewhere.
I’m willing to support, as a candidate, a reserve fund - but keep it responsible and accountable to the needs and not the wants of the future. I believe a reserve of 2.2 to 3.1 million would be acceptable to staff and the taxpayers of Lehigh Acres in case of a major destruction and not the $10,065,422.00 million that is in the proposed operational budget for 2006-2007. This board needs to lower contingency and miscellaneous fund items to a minimumally acceptable level. I also believe that staff should file for grants every 45 to 60 days to save the taxpayers’ money; this department has only received one true grant in the last five years.
I had the opportunity to talk to Chief Adams this last Saturday. We also have agreed to meet again to talk about the budget needs of the district. The chief told me the 10 million dollar plus in reserves is the 8 million dollar loan and the future impact fee money.
If this true, then why isn’t the budget written like that? It just shows it as reserves!
My question still stands --- does this administration really know how to do a budget?
Recently, I attended the first of two fire department budget workshops and the Chairman’s Town Hall meeting, continually hearing the same thing - “we want this” for the future. What about the needs of the district? What about being responsible and accountable to the needs of the people of the fire district? Where is the current five year plan (the last plan was done in 2001 and update in 2003), a ten year plan and a long term 20 year plan for the district? With these plans you can layout the needs and not the wants for the future.
Is this budget responsible and accountable to the people of this district at 38.6 million dollars this next fiscal year? Or is it just a smoke and mirror game?
But this current fire board, with four fire fighters on it, is just about to make a 38.6 million dollar mistake that will have repercussions for years to come for your children and their children.
Most people in Lehigh Acres would agree that firefighters did an excellent job protecting our homes and lives, especially during the fire this last April; but by just looking at this budget and the questionable items in it, and the lack of prevention items needed, it would be very easy to cut 7-10 million dollars and still have one of the most effective fire departments in the county.
The current board is still borrowing 8 million dollars to build two new stations at the cost of 5.8 million for both; why do we need the extra 2.2 million that we, the citizens, must pay back?
Chief Adams has a line item in the budget called contingencies for $515,000, and almost all budgeted accounts have some form of a miscellaneous line item in them, with a grand total over $20,000 in this budget.
So between the so-called reserved fund and contingency fund, plus miscellaneous line items, we have over 10.6 million dollars of possible cuts that can be made in this budget. Most accountants believe there should never be a miscellaneous line item, and all items must be accounted for somewhere.
I’m willing to support, as a candidate, a reserve fund - but keep it responsible and accountable to the needs and not the wants of the future. I believe a reserve of 2.2 to 3.1 million would be acceptable to staff and the taxpayers of Lehigh Acres in case of a major destruction and not the $10,065,422.00 million that is in the proposed operational budget for 2006-2007. This board needs to lower contingency and miscellaneous fund items to a minimumally acceptable level. I also believe that staff should file for grants every 45 to 60 days to save the taxpayers’ money; this department has only received one true grant in the last five years.
I had the opportunity to talk to Chief Adams this last Saturday. We also have agreed to meet again to talk about the budget needs of the district. The chief told me the 10 million dollar plus in reserves is the 8 million dollar loan and the future impact fee money.
If this true, then why isn’t the budget written like that? It just shows it as reserves!
My question still stands --- does this administration really know how to do a budget?
Recently, I attended the first of two fire department budget workshops and the Chairman’s Town Hall meeting, continually hearing the same thing - “we want this” for the future. What about the needs of the district? What about being responsible and accountable to the needs of the people of the fire district? Where is the current five year plan (the last plan was done in 2001 and update in 2003), a ten year plan and a long term 20 year plan for the district? With these plans you can layout the needs and not the wants for the future.
Is this budget responsible and accountable to the people of this district at 38.6 million dollars this next fiscal year? Or is it just a smoke and mirror game?
posted by Editor Facts & Myths | 10:21 AM
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