MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Fire Department spent $1 million in overtime during 2021 because it’s at a “bare minimum” in terms of staffing, Assistant Chief Jim Bishop said Monday evening.
His comments, including the suggestion the city increase the size of the department beyond its current authorized strength of 90, came during an hour-long Mansfield City Council Finance Committee.
Fourth Ward Councilman Alomar Davenport, who chairs the finance committee, scheduled the meeting as local lawmakers prep to vote on a final 2022 budget on March 15.
The city’s safety forces were a topic for discussion after Davenport pointed out the city “spends 53 percent of its general fund” on the police department, fire department and communications office.
The fire department is one firefighter above its current authorized strength of 90, but was forced into mandatory overtime last year to cover for extended illnesses, including COVID-19, according to Bishop.
Four of those 91 are new firefighters and are still undergoing training. Another eight are chiefs, assistant chiefs, a training captain and three members of the fire prevention bureau.
“We historically run at the bare minimum and we are there now. We had a million dollars in overtime last year,” Bishop said. “What could that million dollars have done had we invested in people … had we hired eight or 10 additional people?
“The guys enjoyed the overtime, but we were forced numerous times to force people to come to work. They didn’t have a choice in the matter. They were forced to come to work. We were running overtime six, seven times a day,” Bishop said.
“I keep track of our injury and sick time usage hours every year. It was excessive (in 2021). But some of these things you cannot budget for,” he said.
The assistant chief said National Fire Protection Association recommends a department staff four firefighters per truck during a shift.
“We’ve got five trucks in the city. Four of the trucks we have two guys on. One truck we have three on,” said Bishop, who said the department had 25 to 30 firefighters who could retire this year if they chose to do so.
“You have to plan ahead,” he said, adding he hopes the OT payments will not be as much in 2022. “I hope not. I don’t think it will. But I can’t predict anything at this point in time.”
There was no discussion among council about increasing the size of the department, but Mayor Tim Theaker’s administration added $1.84 million to its safety services fund over what it listed in the temporary budget approved in December.
That total includes:
— $754,582 for police salary and benefits to help alleviate hiring and retention issues. The number of budgeted officers remains at 87, including five positions paid by grant.
— $706,655 for fire department salary and benefits, mainly to offset rising overtime costs. The number of budgeted firefighters remains at 90.
— $251,053 for public safety communications center salary and benefits to help alleviate staffing shortages. The number of budgeted personnel increased by three, to 20 from 17.
Mansfield’s safety forces receive $7 million annually from a 1/2-percent income tax approved by voters. The police and fire departments also receive about $1.8 million annually as part of the 1/4-percent PRIDE tax voters have approved.
The remainder of the safety forces budget is “transferred in” from the city’s general fund, though Bishop said the departments never receive the full amount budgeted. In the 2022 budget, that amount is listed as $16,784,000, he said.
A week ago, City Council approved pay increases and retention bonuses for the city’s police officers in an apparent attempt to stave off manpower loses in an already short-staffed department.
The Mansfield Police Department is budgeted for 87 sworn officers, five of which are paid by grants. The department had 74 officers as of Tuesday.
Of that total, eight are new officers who just graduated from the police academy and haven’t entered field training yet, according to Chief Keith Porch.
The city is in the midst of contract negotiations with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 266, which represents local firefighters.
Finance Director Linn Steward said general fund monies are transferred in monthly as needed for the safety forces to keep their funds balanced.
“Every month, we look at what was spent actually and we transfer in enough money to bring to bring them back up to their petty cash amount, which I believe is $225,” she said.
“(The safety forces) fund balances mostly because the police department has had vacant positions for several years. That’s why the whole ‘transfer in’ hasn’t been needed. In fact, fire has used some of police’s budget the last several years.
“We’ve often talked about once police, if they get all their positions filled, we’re going to be hurting because that carryover has helped balance the next year,” Steward said.
“I am not trying to be doom and gloom, but we are living beyond our means as far as revenue coming in actually. We talk about adding on (fire) personnel, but if police gets all their (positions) filled, we’re going to have a hard time balancing,” she said.
As a municipality, the City of Mansfield receives about 60 percent of its general fund budget through income tax each year.
Stephanie Zader, an at-large council member, said the city has a revenue problem, not a spending problem.
“(With) income tax being the main source of income for the City of Mansfield, which means that focusing on economic development, keeping our businesses and bringing businesses in is what funds our city,” she said.
