ARUNDEL — Discussion over the Arundel Fire and Rescue
Department got heated at the Board of Selectmen meeting held on Monday, April 9.
The board, led by Vice Chairman Mark Paulin in Chairwoman
Velma Jones Hayes's absence, began to review budget proposals and opened with
the controversial issue of potentially cutting fire and rescue.
The preliminary proposed municipal budget stands at $1.4
million, an increase of $200,000 from last year's $1.2 million budget. According
to Town Manager Todd Shea, the total budget under discussion, including taxes
and the RSU 21 costs, is $5.7 million, $200,000 more than last year.
As it should get heated! There are people out there wanting to take away public safety, a service that many have had to use. Many are wanting to give up this wonderful service to fund RSU 21, or so they think it would. It would cost more to the taxpayer in taxes, and insurance closting the Arundel Fire Rescue.
ReplyDeleteThere is also other motivation for closing the Arundel Fire Rescue, and some might want to look into why they want to close it.
Anonymous, you wouldn't happen to have an inside scoop you could share, would you?
ReplyDeleteI think it's absolutely ridiculous that they'd consider cutting our fire and rescue services. (But it's totally okay to toss $35K at a 'study', which isn't a 'study'. (Read the statute on the Arundel town website - there is no 'study' involved with the withdrawal process. The ball is now rolling.)
I wonder what they'd rather spend that money on, instead of having our own emergency services...?
Tuition....
ReplyDeleteRobbing Peter to pay TAMS? Or is thiS RSU tuition, you mean?
DeleteWhy not read the latest newspost @:
ReplyDeleteBoard considers increase to fire department budget
By Adam Chabot
Staff Writer
http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2012-04-13/Community/Board_considers_increase_to_fire_department_budget.html
The Arundel Budget Board began its final review by making recommendations to the Board of Selectmen that included increasing funds for the fire department training from $7,500 to $17,500, allocating $50,000 to the fire department reserve and employing a part-time fire chief.
Let's get something straight, statute doesn't require that a study be done. If it was not required, how do you think this study came to? It came to because of the Board of Selectmen voting to do so. Nothing more and nothing less, and I guess that they took that back too, and said they had nothing to do with it...seriously, come on people.
ReplyDeleteTuition has nothing to do with a Fire Department budget, only those who want to stay with in RSU 21 and want to fund RSU 21 via closing the department. I have never heard of such a bad idea.