Let’s talk about the proposed 38.6 million dollar budget
So let’s talk about wants illegal, immoral, unethical and irresponsible about this proposed 38.6 million dollar budget for Lehigh Acres Fire District.
Administrative Salary 7% Wage increase Plus one new Assistant Chief – They got a raise last year and already the dept is top heavy with to many chiefs and no one knows their job duties. And most of the chiefs live outside of the Lehigh Acres Fire District.
Firefighter/ EMS personnel will receive a 4% increase in pay per their contract but Chief Adams wants to give them a additional 10%, didn’t the Firefighter/ EMS personnel get a double digit increase last year? – I have no problem paying for our Firefighter/ EMS personnel but paying double-digit payroll increases is not expectable practice.
Overtime --- Should not be use for training, overtime be use as a means of last resort only! Major emergency or etc. in the proposed budget a quarter of a million is set-aside in overtime but most for training. Training should be a different line item in the budget.
Legal Fees – The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $50,000, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $200,000 ---
Medical Director – The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $35,000 NOW $60,000 for a part-time job. The medical director works for Lehigh Regional Hospital full-time
Land Taxes – The district pays $1,500 in land taxes why the district is a government agency, and government agencies do not pay land taxes.
Communications – Current the board has agreements with 6 different communication companies WHY? Cingular, Embarq, Liberty, Comcast, Nextel and 800mhz user fees
Rental space for offices – The Chief wants to move all Administrative to one location this year at the cost in this budget at $200,000 WHY again, My question were is responsibility to the people we need to build fire station first, then build the Administration second that’s how it should work.
Equipment – We current have six fire engines 200, 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 but current engine 200 sits outside rotting away and the only thing wrong is main water pump for the water tank it will not keep up the presser needed for a first response vehicle – so lets get fixed, the board states No were put in the budget for a new half a million dollar engine.
Also our crash engine 707 needs $16,000 in repairs but are board again states NO, why you ask they are planning to retire the crash engine and buy two more.
Contract on the Districts Computer hardware --- We have a $40,000 a year contract for computer for hardware support – This contract needs to be revaluated on a yearly needs and cost basics.
Administrative office expense – From $10,500 to 26,700 a 180% increase Why? But office supplies, which are a different account, only want up $5,000 dollars.
GAS/ OIL -- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $100,000, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $200,000 --- we need to go out and find other companies to bid on our GAS and Oil needs on a yearly basics.
New Bay on Station #3 (Gunnery) -- Half a million dollars in this proposed budget to expand station #3 but there is no land on the on the stations bay side to expand?
Computers --- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $8,500, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $140,300 – I believe the district should go out to bid to save the taxpayers money.
Reserves -- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $1,369,828, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $10,065,422 -------- BAD management and not responsible or accountable to the people of Lehigh Acres ---- but a reserve of under 3.2 million would be both responsible or accountable to the people of Lehigh Acres and this fire district.
Administrative Salary 7% Wage increase Plus one new Assistant Chief – They got a raise last year and already the dept is top heavy with to many chiefs and no one knows their job duties. And most of the chiefs live outside of the Lehigh Acres Fire District.
Firefighter/ EMS personnel will receive a 4% increase in pay per their contract but Chief Adams wants to give them a additional 10%, didn’t the Firefighter/ EMS personnel get a double digit increase last year? – I have no problem paying for our Firefighter/ EMS personnel but paying double-digit payroll increases is not expectable practice.
Overtime --- Should not be use for training, overtime be use as a means of last resort only! Major emergency or etc. in the proposed budget a quarter of a million is set-aside in overtime but most for training. Training should be a different line item in the budget.
Legal Fees – The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $50,000, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $200,000 ---
Medical Director – The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $35,000 NOW $60,000 for a part-time job. The medical director works for Lehigh Regional Hospital full-time
Land Taxes – The district pays $1,500 in land taxes why the district is a government agency, and government agencies do not pay land taxes.
Communications – Current the board has agreements with 6 different communication companies WHY? Cingular, Embarq, Liberty, Comcast, Nextel and 800mhz user fees
Rental space for offices – The Chief wants to move all Administrative to one location this year at the cost in this budget at $200,000 WHY again, My question were is responsibility to the people we need to build fire station first, then build the Administration second that’s how it should work.
Equipment – We current have six fire engines 200, 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 but current engine 200 sits outside rotting away and the only thing wrong is main water pump for the water tank it will not keep up the presser needed for a first response vehicle – so lets get fixed, the board states No were put in the budget for a new half a million dollar engine.
Also our crash engine 707 needs $16,000 in repairs but are board again states NO, why you ask they are planning to retire the crash engine and buy two more.
Contract on the Districts Computer hardware --- We have a $40,000 a year contract for computer for hardware support – This contract needs to be revaluated on a yearly needs and cost basics.
Administrative office expense – From $10,500 to 26,700 a 180% increase Why? But office supplies, which are a different account, only want up $5,000 dollars.
GAS/ OIL -- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $100,000, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $200,000 --- we need to go out and find other companies to bid on our GAS and Oil needs on a yearly basics.
New Bay on Station #3 (Gunnery) -- Half a million dollars in this proposed budget to expand station #3 but there is no land on the on the stations bay side to expand?
Computers --- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $8,500, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $140,300 – I believe the district should go out to bid to save the taxpayers money.
Reserves -- The adopted budget for 2005/2006 was $1,369,828, NOW the proposed 2006/2007 budgeted item is $10,065,422 -------- BAD management and not responsible or accountable to the people of Lehigh Acres ---- but a reserve of under 3.2 million would be both responsible or accountable to the people of Lehigh Acres and this fire district.
posted by Editor Facts & Myths | 9:05 AM
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