TACOMA, Wash. — The Tacoma City Council approved its two-year budget Tuesday night, including additional funds for the fire department, which had been facing potential cuts.
Council members unanimously approved an amendment to inject $2.5 million into the Tacoma Fire Department, which the council said would help maintain staffing levels and allow for flexibility to prevent brownouts and mandatory overtime.
The money doesn’t add to the structural deficit and includes one-time cash, according to Councilmember Joe Bushnell, who worked on the legislation.
The city of Tacoma faced a $24 million deficit and was looking to balance the budget while addressing concerns about failing equipment and facility maintenance.
“Those are still critical needs that need addressing but this gives and sets us up on a path to addressing those in the long term,” Bushnell said.
As part of initial budget discussions, the council was considering eliminating 16 rover positions, which are firefighters who fill in during times of low staffing to reduce overtime. The city acknowledged that cutting the program could result in slightly longer response times.
IAFF Local 31, the union that represents Tacoma firefighters, applauded the funding in the approved budget, saying the union made “significant” progress in preventing cuts and avoiding a reduction in service.
“While this is a victory, our work is far from over,” the union said in a statement Wednesday. “We remain committed to collaborating with City Council to establish a sustainable long-term plan that strengthens our department and ensures the continued wellbeing of the citizens we are honored to serve.”
Those comments were echoed by other council members, such as Olgy Diaz, who said the funding didn’t go far enough and warned there were harder decisions coming as the city continues to face a bleak financial outlook.
“I’m really concerned about what our conversations are going to look like in January, what programs are going to be on the table and what staff uncertainties are ahead of us,” Diaz said.