Ferndale Faces Budget Shortfall, Firefighter Layoffs Possible As Grant Expires

Ferndale officials are hoping to avoid laying off firefighters as the city moves forward with budgeting for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The city prepared a budget using an expected decline in taxable values of one percent, but final numbers from the county released March 20 show a total revenue decline of six percent in taxable value.

City staff also updated projections for fiscal year 2014-15 to reflect a three percent loss rather than the potential for an increase.

Because of the changes, the budget presented to council this week had a deficit of $956,000 for fiscal year 2014 and $2 million for 2015.

The Ferndale Fire Department could be one of the areas affected, as a grant has paid for four of the city's firefighters for the past two years.

The SAFER grant was accepted in May 2011 and allowed the city to hire back four previously laid-off firefighters for two years — salaries and benefits — at no cost to the city.

"That means we are losing about $400,000 to fund those firefighter positions," Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter told the Daily Tribune. "It’s too early to tell if there will be layoffs of firefighters. We would like to stay at full staffing and we’re going to have to be creative." Read the full article here.

Ferndale City Council met for its first budget hearing on Tuesday and will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 8 at Ferndale City Hall to look at options for preparing a final balanced budget. The budget must be approved by May 10.

Ferndale Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan told the Daily Tribune this week that he is working on several options to present to council to help limit possible layoffs.

You can view the city's preliminary budget figures here.