Fire commissioners plan hearing on 2010 budget

Newman Lake Fire & Rescue commissioners will conduct a public hearing Monday on their proposed 2010 budget.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at Station 1, 10236 N. West Newman Lake Drive. The $575,415 budget is up 2.7 percent from this year’s total of $560,098.

Chief Keith Yamane said this year’s budget included a $100,000 transfer to reserves. The new budget would add $63,158.

The 2010 budget provides no salary increase for Yamane, who got a raise this year, but would boost other employees’ pay.

Yamane said the budget would restore half-time deputy chiefs Toni Halloran and Kathie Neu to salaried instead of hourly status. They were budgeted to receive $31,000 this year, but instead were reduced to $20.53 per hour, which works out to $21,351 annually at 20 hours a week.

Next year, Neu and Halloran are to receive $28,597.

Hourly pay for finance officer Janni Hills and secretary Rosa Ingram, who work about 50 hours a month, will rise 5.28 and 3.57 percent respectively.

Hills’ pay is to go from $18 to $18.95 per hour; Ingram’s, from $14 to $14.50 an hour. Based on 50 hours a month, Hills would receive $11,370 next year and Ingram would get $8,700.

Commissioners’ pay, set by state law, won’t change.