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Cities fight over fire department funding
By CHASE SQUIRES © St. Petersburg Times, published September 22, 2000 SAN ANTONIO -- Tensions between the neighboring communities of San Antonio and Saint Leo over fire service sparked a confrontation Wednesday about payments to the local volunteer fire department and led to calls for a department financial review. San Antonio Mayor Roy Pierce said he has been quietly asking for access to the fire department's financial records for five years and has been denied. At times, he said, he was promised cooperation, only to be told later to get a subpoena if he wanted access. He said this year he was told some records may have been destroyed. "Computers are destroyed for what appears to be to cover up," Pierce said at the public meeting. "I don't think we should pay any more, personally, until we know what the facts are . . . . It's our obligation to see that our taxpayer money is properly spent." Commissioners Wendi Edwards and Dennis Phillips agreed there needs to be some accounting for department money. The questions arose as Fire Chief Troy Newton is asking both communities for $10,000 each as an emergency contribution to fund a new rescue truck. Newton and previous chief Jeff McDougal said no money is missing from the department and both said they have tried to keep clear records but they are volunteers, not certified accountants. Both said they stand by their work and their firefighters. Newton said a department computer was indeed found damaged about a year ago, but there is no indication anyone did anything to hide records. He said no one knows how the computer was damaged but the data are still inside and could be retrieved. Newton told San Antonio commissioners Wednesday that without more public support, his department may shut down. He said efforts are being made to keep careful records now, but he cannot change what happened in the past. Newton contends everything else is irrelevant in the debate over funding a new rescue truck, something his department must have to do its job. On Thursday, Newton said the lack of support in San Antonio is causing him to look at possible locations outside the city. Pierce said he is not accusing Newton's 2-year-old administration or anyone else of wrongdoing, but he said without financial records to review, he cannot assure the public that city money is being handled correctly. If money has been misspent, Pierce said he would want the case prosecuted. Former chief McDougal and department President Wade Barber both said Thursday there has never been any evidence that money was missing from the department. McDougal said his late sister Holly -- who was also the Saint Leo town clerk before her death last year -- kept the department's books as a volunteer. While the bookkeeping may not have been up to professional accounting standards, Barber and McDougal said volunteers did the best they could. Barber said he has reconstructed some records for Pierce to review, but said the mayor wanted more. Pierce said Barber was helpful but said he wanted to see a full accounting. Wednesday's meeting drew two Saint Leo Town Commissioners and their mayor in a rare group appearance at San Antonio's City Hall. The contingent asked San Antonio to give $10,000 to the fire department for the new rescue truck. Saint Leo commissioners said Pierce promised the money if Saint Leo donated the same amount. Pierce said that wasn't the deal, and other San Antonio commissioners said they knew nothing about a new rescue truck. Pierce said he never asked his commission about the request for the new truck, but instead contacted a private donor who agreed to give the department $10,000. Newton said he has not received the money. Pierce said he was unwilling to put more city money into the fire department without knowing more about the department's finances and without ensuring the citizens of San Antonio weren't already paying more than their fair share for fire protection. San Antonio has budgeted $17,000 to pay to the fire department for protection in the coming fiscal year, beginning Oct. 1. Saint Leo has budgeted $9,550 for the year. Saint Leo commissioners also dipped into cash reserves this year to come up with the additional one-time contribution of $10,000 to buy a rescue truck that Newton said is critical. The old truck, he said, is being retired. It will take a $10,000 down payment plus $13,000 in equipment to replace it, he said. After 90 minutes of occasionally tense debate Wednesday, Saint Leo commissioners and Newton left without the $10,000 from San Antonio. San Antonio commissioners agreed to discuss the matter again Oct. 3. Newton said a volunteer is compiling records from the previous two years and said he would give them to Pierce as soon as he can, but he said the department needs cash contributions from both cities now for a new rescue truck. His building, he said, is also in dire need of repair. He told San Antonio commissioners the department's roof leaks, damaging the furniture, and that there are other problems. "We don't even have enough trash cans to catch the water when it rains," he said Thursday. Newton said volunteers are becoming disgusted with the situation and are quitting the department. Wednesday was not the first rocky period for the department in recent years. In December 1998, the department was nearly turned over to Pasco County. Barber had agreed in principle to surrender the department to a paid county crew because volunteers were becoming scarce as society changed and more people took jobs outside their hometowns. That potential merger soured within a month when disagreements arose between firefighters and the county over their roles in the new department. Newton was elected fire chief by members who wanted to keep the department independent. Newton said he has struggled to recruit new members and keep morale up but has been disappointed with what he perceives as a lack of support from City Hall.
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From today's Pasco Times |
