FAYETTEVILLE -- The Village of Fayetteville is considering a plan to cut its fire department budget.
Lawmakers are looking to slash the budget by more than $70,000 next year. Fayeteville Mayor Mark Olson says pension costs for the department's 13 full time firefighters was $60,000 last year. The mayor is proposing to cut $45,000 from the departments funding for next year. Another $30,000 dollars would be saved through reductions in pay raises that have already been negotiated.
Fayetteville is already the busiest department in Onondaga County. Lt. Patrick Mannion says call volume has gone up each of the last ten years, and the department is on pace to pass 3,500 calls this year.
Thanks to last year's renovation of the fire station, Fayetteville residents are already paying higher taxes. That is one reason Mayor Olson says he is looking to cut the fire department's $1.6 million budget.
Lt. Mannion says the department is determined to maintain its current level of servivce, despite the cuts, but admits the rising cost of everything from fuel to parts makes it difficult. "Calls are going up, volumes going up, money is going down, even if it stays the same, it is still going to be a challenge," he says.
The village has scheduled a public hearing to discuss the proposed cuts on April 9th.
