HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-07-08, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010.Fire budgets make for tough comparison of serviceFire coverage in Huron Countyhas proven to be a contentious issuethroughout most townships.The switch from area fire boards
to municipal fire boards has created
changes throughout the community
and the amalgamation of
municipalities creates challenges on
top of those changes.
North Huron’s change to an
amalgamated fire department
working out of two fire halls, for
example, changed the way
neighbouring municipalities were
charged for fire protection, which
led to some municipalities
questioning the value of the service
and its necessity.
One of the problems with trying to
compare fire services, according to
both Fire Chief John Black of North
Huron, and CAO Kevin McLlwain
of Central Huron, is the differences
in the style of budget preparation.
The major difference in North
Huron’s new budgeting system was
caused by the fire department
planning ahead for the replacement
of major equipment and labeling it
as an operating cost. This took one-
time charges, like buying a new fire
truck, that councils were used to
paying all at once and spread the
cost over time by creating a fund for
those replacements. This is the
standard according to Black.
McLlwain stated that expenditures
on equipment such as trucks
shouldn’t be listed as assets to the
fire hall, but their depreciation value
should be listed as a cost. That cost
would be placed in a fund to help
prepare for the replacement of the
capital.
Both Central Huron and Ashfield-
Colborne-Wawanosh Township
(ACW) Councils had problems with
the new system, however, North
Huron and Central Huron are
currently in negotiations to decide
upon a fair price and wording in
their protection act.
ACW Councillors decided that
the best option for their ratepayers
was to split an area, previously
covered by the Blyth Fire
Department, into two coverage
areas, one covered by Central Huron
and one by Lucknow.
For a specific breakdown of
coverage areas, check the fire maps
available at the Huron County office
in Goderich or at The Citizen’s
website at www.northhuron.on.ca
Many questions still remain from
several councils regarding the
difference in fire costs throughout
Huron County.
For example, ACW councillors
questioned how Lucknow could
cover a larger area for less than what
North Huron charged, and Morris
Turnberry councillors had a similar
thought, wondering why North
Huron’s budget was so much higher
compared to Huron East, who also
covers portions of Morris-Turnberry.
Central Huron council also had a
different idea of what the coverage
of northern Central Huron should be
worth, being prepared to offer
approximately $50,000 when
negotiations began with North
Huron, and now paying nearly
$100,000 for Central Huron fire
calls north of Londesborough.
The change-over from North
Huron’s two-department system to a
one-department system creates a
communal budget between both fire
halls, which also includes wages for
both halls, planned replacement
costs of major equipment, and
training to bring both fire halls up to
standards.
However each fire department
functions differently throughout
Huron County.
An example of this is Huron East’s
attempts to cover the cost of their
own equipment costs in an effort to
maintain possession of assets.
Morris-Turnberry, who buys
protection services from both Huron
East and North Huron, find
themselves paying for equipment
replacement with North Huron, but
paying only for maintenance with
Huron East.
According to Huron East
Emergency Measures Co-ordinator
Marty Bedard, this is designed to
ensure that, regardless of protection
contracts, Huron East retains
possession of its own equipment.
An unaddressed issue created by
the new system is the ownership of
vehicles. North Huron will now own
all of their vehicles, while the
communities they have protection
agreements with will be paying for
portions of them.
Previously, when neighbouring
municipalities paid for portions of
new equipment and vehicles, they
would own a portion of that
investment. North Huron bought the
townships of Central Huron, ACW,
and Morris Turnberry out of their
shares of equipment earlier this year.
Another challenge faced by
councils trying to either provide or
enlist fire services is the difference
in which boards present their costs.
When examining three local fire
services; Central Huron, Huron East
and North Huron, the budgets are
each set independently, resulting in a
three-page document for Huron
East’s three stations and protection
agreements, a single page document
for North Huron’s two departments,
and another full page document for
Central Huron’s one department.
Each department registers
expenses and revenues differently,
some having many expenditures
inclusively counted, while others
detail more specifically.
The only completely comparable
costs are that of salaries, wages and
benefits and overall costs.
North Huron tops the salary chart,
paying out a grand total of $239,616
annually to firefighters at its two
halls, Huron East pays out $115,380
over its three halls and Emergency
Measures Coordinator, and Central
Huron pays out $70,309 at its one
fire hall.
In total costs, North Huron pays
the most with $660,047, Huron East
pays $600,961 and Central Huron
pays the least with $224,349.
Examining the budgets, there is
little correlation in the size of a
department to some of the stated
expenditures, such as building costs
and utilities; Central Huron lists
$27,900 for its one fire hall, while
North Huron lists $19,650 for its
two, and Huron East lists $35,200
over its three.
Another oddity is training. Both
Huron East and North Huron
estimate training to cost over
$60,000, while Central
Huron forecasts only $4,500 for its
training.
With so many different styles of
presenting the same information,
determining the best coverage has
proven to be complicated for all
townships involved.
By Denny ScottThe Citizen