Special Board of Aldermen 07-01-2021 Page 24
school down south, | want a fire truck there if we have a problem. Now granted, we are going to build it so it
is anti-fire, but you never know.
Alderman Lopez
Especially if it doesn’t have a road.
Alderman Dowd
That would be difficult.
President Wilshire
All set Alderman Dowd?
Alderman Dowd
Yes.
President Wilshire
Alderman Tencza?
Alderman Tencza
Thank you Madam President. Again just briefly, | think that the difference in the money restored by the
Budget Committee in the Mayor’s Budget is really minimal to include it for the Fire Department. | just also
wanted to point out similar to what Alderman Schmidt was saying, | think we should look at this a little
differently and be proud of the money we are funding for these Departments. Again, Police and Fire are a
source of pride for the Board of Aldermen, the City; certainly we tout all of their accomplishments and
everything they have done over the last — throughout their histories. And so again it is a good investment.
But | know that there were some concerns about how their budgets have increased over the last 6 years. |
went back and | looked at the numbers and if you take out the fringe benefits which the Departments really
have no control over and you look back at the Fire Department’s budget over the last 10 years, yes it has
increased over the last 5 or 6 years, but over the last 10 years it has only increased at a pace of 1.5% per
year. So again, | think we should be proud that we are making the decisions to kind of restore their budget
to where it should be or it should have been all of the last years and | hope that going forward, | think that
the Fire Department, as a liaison, | can say that | think that they know that going forward their budget and
these increases are not always going to be able to be what we have been — the 3% and 4% that we have
been able to give in the last several years. But really what we have been doing is playing catch up for the 4
years previous when their budget only went up about 1.0% a year. So again | hope that we can support this
and keep the firefighters on the road and in their fire houses. Thanks.
President Wilshire
Thank you. Alderman Cleaver?
Alderman Cleaver
Thank you Madam President. | am very impressed with the Budget Committee’s work with all the
Departments and their work and | think we have done extremely well, especially Fire and Police. And | think
we have the duty to pass this budget as is, without any cuts. Itis already bare bones if you will and | think it
is outstanding as it is, and we are very fortunate that we have been able to get it under control and keep it
