Letter: Mayor says fire department split isn’t cause for budget increase

To the Editor:

I would like to clear up a misconception that some may have, that the recent separation of the city and county fire departments caused the city to increase the Fire Department budget by $550,000. It has also been said that we needed to increase the number of paid firefighters because we no longer had the participation of volunteer firefighters. In fact, we continue to have the support of our volunteers, who remain the backbone of our department. And, we all owe a debt of gratitude to these volunteers who respond to fire and emergency call both inside and outside the city.

For a long time, the city has recognized the need for a 24 hour, fulltime fire department. Our response time from midnight to 8 a.m. has averaged 14 minutes, which is unacceptable for a community our size. So, after the separation of the Departments, the City Council decided to increase the number of firefighters from 10 to 17. This gives us the 24-hour coverage that we need.

The City could just as easily have continued with the present staffing, including the volunteers and maintained the previous level of fire service. However, The City Council and I are committed to 24-hour immediate response coverage for fires and for rescue services.

I hope that this clarifies this matter, as we decide how to fund this important governmental service.

John Royalty
Mayor, City of Bardstown