West Kelowna Council Denies Funding for Additional Firefighters Amid Overtime Costs
In a move that reflects budgetary constraints and fiscal priorities, the West Kelowna city council has rejected a proposal to hire two additional flex firefighters. The decision was made during the council’s Aug. 27 meeting, where Fire Chief Jason Brolund requested funding to help alleviate the department’s burgeoning overtime costs.
According to Brolund, the fire department has faced significant un-budgeted overtime expenses over the past three years, ranging between $500,000 and $700,000 annually. Despite having a budget for overtime, the department often exceeds these allocations, he explained. Some of these costs have been offset by surpluses in other areas of the budget.
The department is contractually required to maintain eight on-duty firefighters around the clock, with a current staff of 40 members and two flex firefighters who assist in covering overtime shifts. Brolund highlighted that the introduction of flex firefighters has helped reduce the number of overtime shifts needed to meet this obligation. However, he also noted that firefighters are sometimes unable to work overtime due to personal commitments, leading to understaffing.
In his presentation, Brolund outlined the financial implications of hiring additional flex firefighters, estimating the annual cost at $240,000, with a one-time training and onboarding expense of $41,500 and an additional $35,000 per year for administrative support. The prorated cost for 2024 would be $133,500. He argued that the investment would result in a significant reduction in un-budgeted overtime, bringing it down to between $200,000 and $400,000 per year.
The request would have represented a 0.6 per cent increase in taxes for the 2025 budget. While Councillor Rick de Jong expressed his support for the proposal, he acknowledged the importance of every budgetary increment, suggesting that the council may be hesitant to approve tax increases.
The council’s decision reflects a broader challenge faced by many local governments: balancing the need for essential services with the fiscal responsibility to taxpayers. As West Kelowna continues to grapple with its budgetary constraints, the fire department will likely need to find alternative ways to manage its overtime costs.
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