At last Monday’s council meeting, Zac Morris made a great point. As one person after another stood at the podium and explained why they need WAY more money this year, the fire chief told us the following (8/25/22 Dispatch):
Lampasas Fire Chief Jeff Smith confirmed that while the county contributes $21,000 in annual funding to his department, 35% of the emergency calls to which the fire department responds are within the county, not the Lampasas city limits.
WOW. They spend 35% of their time OUTSIDE the City limits? Zac Morris then made the obvious point:
“You think that’s worth more than $21,000?” Morris said. “We should work together, of course, but I think we need to even out some of this.”
This year’s Fire Department budget is proposed at $1.65 million. Up 20% from three years ago ($1.373 million). And the county accounts for over a THIRD of the calls?
That $21,000 is equal to 1.3% of the fire department budget, by the way. So you use 35% but pay for 1.6%. Sounds like the kinds of terrible deals the United States makes with the U.N. and NATO. In other words, a total ass ream!
Thank goodness we have at least ONE person with a functioning brain on City council to ask these questions. Just goes to show you how careless the City is with your tax dollars. You’d NEVER hear former mayor Misti Talbert bring up something like this. She was too busy wasting $1.6 million on a new City council chambers.
I guess we’re down to SIX goldfish on City council now!