Posts Tagged Bartlett FPD looks into ways to save money

Bartlett Fire Protection District news (more)

Mar 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Among the greatest misunderstandings about the Bartlett Fire Protection District’s March 20 tax increase referendum is the lack of awareness that the district is independent from the village of Bartlett, Fire Chief Mike Falese said. That became clear over the course of 48 informational meetings about the referendum Falese attended in recent months.

It’s significant, Falese said, because voters could mistakenly believe the cash-strapped fire district is part of a village government with other options to raise revenue. Many who came to the informational meetings and coffees were surprised to learn the fire district takes only 6 cents of each of their property-tax dollars. The referendum asks to raise that to 7 cents. The average homeowner’s bill would go up about $100 per year.

Another related source of confusion, especially among village residents, is that the fire district also has jurisdiction over unincorporated areas just outside Bartlett. Residents of those unincorporated areas pay the same rate for the same service as elsewhere in the district.

One major difference between this year’s campaign and last year’s failed effort is that the consequences of voters rejecting the tax hike have been identified in advance. They include reducing the number of firefighters per shift from 14 to 11 and closing one of the district’s three stations on a rotating basis. Such a decrease in service, along with a probable increase in response times, could cause residents’ fire insurance premiums to increase.

The district’s informational campaign owes gratitude to the 200 volunteers making up Friends of Bartlett Fire, which arranged many sessions with homeowners associations and other groups.

Tags: Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett FPD looks into ways to save money, Bartlett FPD seeks property tax increase, chicagoareafire.com, Fire Chief Michael Falese, Fire Chief Mike Falese

Bartlett Fire Protection District news (more)

Dec 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Bartlett Fire Protection District trustees Wednesday approved a March 20 referendum asking voters for a 21 percent increase to the district’s own property tax levy — expected to raise the average homeowner’s annual payment to the district from $469 to $569.

Officials expressed concern that voters would be confused by the 21 percent stated in the question, and not recognize it in the context of their overall tax bill. In fact, less than 6 cents of property owners’ tax bills go to the fire protection district and voter approval of the levy increase would increase that only to 7 cents.

The increase is aimed at keeping services at their current level and avoid specific staffing cuts Fire Chief Michael Falese recommended after voters rejected a similar request last April.

Falese said the district’s calls are increasing annually — up to about 4,000 per year — but its tax revenue has increased only 3 percent over the past eight years.

The requested tax increase was calculated to cost the average homeowner of the district less than $8.30 per month. Though Cook and DuPage counties calculate property taxes slightly differently, the impact estimate was based on the home values in the fire district as a whole, Falese said.

Last summer, the chief shared his recommendations with the trustees on how to keep services affordable if voters don’t allow the levy to be increased beyond the restrictions of the tax cap. They include reducing the number of firefighters per shift from 14 to 11 and closing one of the district’s three stations on a rotating basis throughout the year.

The three staff members per shift who would be cut are the one paid-on-premises firefighter and two private contractors who provide a lower-cost supplement to the 10 union employees and the battalion chief.

Because the district’s three engines and two ambulances require a specific number of people, the only way to reduce staff effectively is to take a whole vehicle out of operation — in this case, an engine.

Tags: Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett FPD looks into ways to save money, Bartlett FPD seeks property tax increase, chicagoareafire.com, Fire Chief Michael Falese, Fire Chief Mike Falese, voters reject increased tx levy for the Bartlett FPD

Bartlett Fire Protection District news (more)

Nov 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Though Bartlett Fire Protection District trustees have already discussed the service cuts they’d make if voters reject a tax-hike proposal via a March 20 referendum, they have yet to decide the exact percentage of the requested increase. That decision is scheduled for their next meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the district’s headquarters, 234 N. Oak Ave. in Bartlett. They believe that’s when they’ll have the most up-to-date financial information ahead of the referendum filing deadline on Jan. 2.

Last April, 59.5 percent of voters rejected a requested 19.5 percent tax-levy increase.

While discussing the financial consequences of that vote during the summer, trustees said that not having detailed information on service cuts may have been a weakness of the information campaign for the referendum. And because the service cuts they said are necessary without a tax hike are so significant, the trustees opted to try one more time at the polls before implementing them.

Fire Chief Michael Falese told trustees the district’s core financial issue is its increasing volume of calls combined with its extremely low tax rate in comparison to other fire districts. Without a sufficient tax increase to maintain today’s level of service, Falese recommended reducing the number of ~~responders~~ firefighters per shift from 14 to 11.

The three per shift who would be cut are the one paid-on-premises firefighter and two private contractors who provide a lower-cost supplement to the 10 more experienced union employees and their battalion chief.

Because the district’s three engines and two ambulances require a specific number of people, the only way to reduce staffing effectively is to take a whole vehicle out of operation — in this case, an engine, Falese said.

As a result, the recommended cuts also would entail closing one of the district’s three stations on a rotating basis throughout the year.

Tags: Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett FPD looks into ways to save money, Bartlett FPD seeks property tax increase, chicagoareafire.com, Fire Chief Mike Falese, voters reject increased tx levy for the Bartlett FPD