HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 6, 2023 Public Hearing MinutesTown of Enfield Fire District
Public Hearing:Increase of Statutory Spending Limit
September 6th,2023
Meeting called to order at 18:35 by Jim Mathews,Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
(BOC for abbreviation in this article).Meeting was held at the Enfield Community Center.
Introduction of the Board of Commissioners and administrative assistants to the BOC.Members
are as follows:
-Jim Mathews,Chairman,Board of Commissioners
-Barry Rollins,Commissioner
-Robyn Wishna,Commissioner
-Geoff Hollister,Commissioner
-Marcus Gingerich,Commissioner
-Cortney Bailey,Treasurer
-Brand Pinsky (not present)-Attorney
-Secretary position is vacant at this time
Explanation of Statutory Spending Limit:
The Enfield Fire District was born July 1st,2023.Fire districts in NYS have a certain set of rules
that they have to abide by for spending ,and these rules are based on assessed tax values of
property excluding agriculture.The laws set in place by NYS set a limit to spending based on tax
assessments.When numbers were configured,it was made apparent to the BOC that the Enfield
Fire Department budget would be cut in half by this restriction,making it unsustainable in the
long run.
The current assessment for spending is $273,000 based on tax assessment from 2 years ago,
which is what NYS bases the spending limit on.
This would cause a detriment to the Fire Department,compromising their ability to provide
adequate fire protection for the Town of Enfield.
The Board of Fire Commissioners is asking for an election to vote yes on increasing the statutory
spending limit from $273,000 to $575,000 for the next 5 years.
This increase to $575,000 would be enough to keep the fire company in a good budget for
current obligations with truck payments and equipment needs.
The current budget for the Enfield Fire Department is $377,000,excluding the new piece of
apparatus purchased in the last few months.Increasing the statutory spending limit to $575k will
allow for room in the event of an emergency,inflation,etc.
Open Floor for Questions:
Q:Why 5 years?
A:This is a short enough time to be able to re-evaluate in 5 years,as well as make it so the town
residents don’t have to vote on a new spending limit every year.
Q:Why $575,000?
A:The $575,000 is an absolute limit,not the amount that will be spent.Limit vs.Budget was
discussed.$575,000 makes sense to include emergencies and inflation over the next 5 years.
Comment:It was made known that the fire department and fire district have not discussed a
budget or how assets will be divided.
Q:Why did we switch to a fire district,and what will this do to taxes?
A:Discussion held about using state &municipal contracts to lower the amount of spending by
the FD -which is unattainable as a Fire Protection District alone.The assets are divided,and
over time spending is lowered due to being divided.This will help increase taxes for residents
over time.
Budget related questions were left out of these minutes due to being unrelated to the upcoming
election.
Q:Is $575,000 a calculated number?Can it be lower?
A:$575,000 was decided on to incorporate natural inflation and other related factors.$575,000
can be lower,however that could cause spending issue in the years to come.
Expression was made that $575,000 is NOT the end-all goal.$575,000 provides the necessary
“wiggle-room”in the event of an emergency or rapid increase of inflation over 5 years.It is not
the intention to spend the whole $575,000.
Greg Stevenson,Fire Chief for EVFC,remarks that $575,000 is considered good business
practice when looking at capital funds and expenditures for vehicles and equipment,and that this
number has been carefully considered between the fire department and board of commissioners.
Closing remarks were made,and residents were encouraged to stay for the Board of
Commissioners'meeting following the adjournment of the public hearing.
Meeting was adjourned at 1921 hours.
Respectfully Submitted,
Alexis Comparetta
Secretary,Enfield Board of Fire Commissioners