AGENDA DATE: 7/12/2017
TITLE:
Title
Fire Rescue Services Fund - Future Planning
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Request the Board consider discontinuing the Fire Rescue Services Fund as a separate fund and move the Fire Rescue Services budget back into the General Fund beginning in FY 19
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Letteri, Walker, Kamptner, Eggleston, and Allshouse, L.
PRESENTER (S): Lori Allshouse
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Douglas C. Walker
BACKGROUND: On March 28, 2017, during a Budget Work Session, staff presented information to the Board about the Fire Rescue Services Fund that was established in FY 16. The information included how the Fire Rescue Services Fund is developed each year and sources of dedicated revenue. At the March work session, the Board requested a follow up session to determine if the Fire Rescue Services budget should continue to be segregated into a separate fund beginning in FY 19.
FY 18 Budget: The approved budget for the FY 18 Fire Rescue Services Fund is $15.4 million. Eighty-two percent of the fund consists of local funding that is equivalent to 7.2 cents on the Real Estate tax rate. Thirteen percent of the revenues are anticipated to be provided in EMS Cost Recovery monies, 3% in State funding, 1% from permits, fees and other sources, and approximately 1% is use of fund balance. Ninety percent of the expenditures is to support the Fire Rescue Department and the County's volunteers, 8% is to support a system-wide fleet management program, and 2% supports other costs. The Fund also includes a 0.4% reserve.
Dedicated Revenues: When the Fire Rescue Services Fund was initiated in FY 16, it included a dedicated 1 cent real estate tax increase to support increases in Fire Rescue Services operating and related capital costs. Subsequent to FY 16, this dedicated funding has continued to be included in Fire Rescue Services' base allocation, in adherence with the practice associated with dedica...
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