2009 Budget Highlights
Work has been completed on the 2009 AFPD budget. Highlights include the following:
Purchasing a 95 Aerial Platform to replace the 1991 Aerial that is now in service at station 6 at 6503 Simms. This truck has been ordered and should arrive by the end of March.
Hiring an additional mechanic. The AFPD has 43 pieces of moving apparatus, 10 stand-by generators, and lots of portable equipment to maintain. A current maintenance employee also performs building maintenance and spends half of his time on those duties.
Purchasing two new Thermal Imaging cameras to replace current cameras that are out of service and no longer receive support from the manufacturer. In other words, they are old! Firefighters utilize these cameras when smoke is so thick that they cannot use their normal vision to search for victims in a structure.
Maintaining current programs such as vehicle and equipment replacement.
While working on the 2009 budget, we had an eye on the 2010 and 2011 budget years as well. The AFPD receives about 90% of our income from property tax. As you are well aware, property values are lower now than in the past. When this happens, our income goes down proportionately. We are forecasting a decrease in revenues from 2009 to 2010 of about 5%, or about $600,000 per year. This carries over to 2011, which is a non-assessment year.
We are also forecasting receiving approximately $75,000 less per year on investments. Therefore, we are planning now to avoid significant problems in the future. Fuel, heat, light, telephone, health care, and workers compensation coverage, among other items, will continue to rise while we take in less revenue. We know our citizens are well aware of this, as you are experiencing the same thing in your own household budgets.
I believe the Arvada Fire Protection District will continue to be financially sound in budget years 2010 and 2011, although we will have to postpone some items such as vehicle replacement. Unless the value of properties in our district increases, we will have even tougher decisions to make in 2012 and beyond. The AFPD cannot continue as we are currently structured without increasing revenue, given the continued rise in costs.
The bottom line is that we will keep you posted. Thank you for your continued support and for allowing us to be your fire department.
