Members of the Clearwater City Council decided Monday it wasn’t time to renegotiate the fire service contract with Clearwater Twp. and Lynden Twp.

 

In March at their annual meetings, residents in both townships decided not to pay the full increase as proposed by the city.

 

Each year, the townships set their next year’s levy for the general fund, roads, recycling, equipment and fire service.

 

Usually, the funds are pretty close to the year before unless there is a major road or building project coming up.

 

The difference in 2018 was a significant hike in the fire service contract due to a big increase in the fire department budget. Clearwater Twp’s. portion was increasing 25.5% from $58,391 to $74,040.

 

After a long debate at their meetings, township residents voted to pay a 10% hike instead of the full amount. Residents asked the supervisors to meet with the city to renegotiate the contract.

 

Monday, Clearwater Twp. Supervisor Bill Langenbacher discussed the issue with the Clearwater City Council.

 

“Over recent years we’ve had some increase in the rates, usually single-digit percents,” he said. “We accept that. We’re fine with that. We understand cost of living increases and inflation increases. But this last time we’re hit with 25.5%. We found it out of balance.”

 

Langenbacher said the big issue was communication. He said the townships didn’t know about the big increase until just before their annual meeting.

 

“We’re expected to go to our electorate with a 25.5% increase,” he said. “They ask us why and we don’t have the answers.”

 

Clearwater City Administrator said the increase was due to a fire department budget increase for capital equipment.

 

He said the reserve balance was exhausted when city purchased rescue van without bonding for the equipment.

 

“The city has been trying to incrementally increase the balance, but in 2015, 2016 and 2017 that didn’t happen,” he said. “2018 was the first year we started issuing capital funds for new purchases.”

 

Mayor Pete Edmonson said the when the council set the budget the last few years, they could have done incremental increases, for example, of 5%, 5% and 10%.

“But we went 0%, 0% and 25%,” he said.

 

Langenbacher said he didn’t want to go into the reasons why it happened. He said the township just wanted to be included in discussions about the fire budget so there were no surprises. 

 

“We don’t want a hand in helping you run your fire department. We understand if you need a fire truck, you get a fire truck,” he said.   

        

 “It’s your fire department. We like the service we get. What we’re unhappy with is the 25.5% increase in one year and not being included in any negotiations.”

 

As far as renegotiating the current amount, Edmonson said there isn’t any “wiggle room.”

 

Under the contract, city residents pay the fire levy up front and are reimbursed when the townships pay their share the following year.

 

 “I don’t see us adjusting the fire contract to the two townships because the city taxpayers will still be on the hook for that shortfall,” he said.

 

Langenbacher said he will take that message back to the electorate. The balance will have to come from the general fund, he said.

 

The council agreed it was a good idea to let the townships know in advance when their budget discussions would take place so they could have a place at the table later this year.