That’s right folks, the BTVFD wants another tax increase this year! I can’t believe they actually have the balls to ask for another tax increase after last years 9.2% hidden increase. This year they want another 15K+ in tax increases.
There will be a town hearing on all the requested budget increases at the town board meeting on Monday September 22th at 7pm. I will be there asking why they spent more than 350K on new property and then need a tax increase. I think we should get a tax decrease of about 15% this year or start consolidation procedures.
I think that the new contract should include a clause allowing the town to audit the books at any time they want, and it should require the apportionment of any new equipment to be owned by the town and not the fire department.
A few things I have learned from my inquiries over the last year.
1.) All equipment that the fire departments use (trucks, vehicles, oxygen stuff and the likes) is owned solely by the fire companies.
2.) Each of these fire companies are supposed to be not for profit organizations but very few are and non in the town have the government exemption code for being a not for profit organization.
3.) All the companies in the town are contracted as private businesses to fulfil fire fighting responsibilities for their district in the town. They are just like the carpet cleaning company that gets hired to clean all the carpets in the town hall. They aren’t actually an employee of the town.
4.) These Fire Companies take our tax dollars and do what they want with it. The town has no over sight and no controls to who or what gets the equipment or property if the town should not wish to continue under a contract.
This is all interesting and begs the question; What happens if we don’t want to pick up a contract for a particular Fire Company? Who gets the equipment? Where does the money they have go? Can another district be contracted to consolidate and for how much?
These are all interesting questions and I will be asking most of them on Monday Evening. I suggest you all attend and hopefully we can get some answers
Big Tree is the wealthiest company in town. They have about 1 million dollars in savings. They also are purchasing a 35k tractor so they can cut the grass at their new land. This is ridiculous and of course the board will approve the contract with no problem like they did last year. It should also be asked why do members of big tree who are also highway dept employees get to leave for calls and then get service award credit and they are still getting paid by the town which goes toward their retirement pension which is from the state too. How is that legal??? Plus they made 50k last year on their gun raffle but hid the money in a different account so they wouldn’t have to claim it.
You will not say a word at the meeting, you have all the information to get into their shorts but you will not say a word! EVERY idea that you listed is on line with what should be done. The town fathers, and mother, just gives away your tax money to the Fire Departments to do as they wish. They will never wake up, no will you speak up!
the truth of the matter is they are putting there lifes in danger on every call that they go on, there could be a time when something god forbid happens that one of them or worse a few of them do not get to go home to there familys. Lets not forget we just had a memorial on 9/11 to remember these people that put there life’s in harms way every day
You are all jealous, we get paid when we are working to answer a call. Too bad! Now I know why all the local Fire Departments put out orders that we are not to say anything on your blog. You are all talk, we will get what we want from the Town, you and not stop us!
Do you honestly know what the hell you are talking about or are you seriously as stupid and arrogant as you sound? Why do you insist on picking on these guys / girls? would you rather have a paid fire service in the town? You want tax cuts but your complaining about the spending? whatever their budget is I’m sure it is conciderably less than what it would cost “US” to fund a paid service. You obvoiusly are not happy with the town or is it the fact that you are just an idiot? either way if you dont like it then move somewhere else. I happen to live in the Big Tree fire district and have called upon them in the past for help and they were there for me. Thats more than I can say for you! Were you there for me when I needed help? NO! Are you there for everyone else that needs help everyday? NO! The voluneer firefighters are there though, dont worry, No matter how much of an asshole you are and no matter how much crap you right about on this blog they will still be there for their community….
Mr. Enlighten,
I think it’s sad that you have no concept of how your own money is spent in this town or even how a fire company gets the money to operate. The BTVFC gets about 10% more than most fire companies in tax dollars and then they hide hundreds of thousands of bucks away for special little projects they don’t need. If they had to report this cash to the town they would obviously have their tax rate cut. I’m in the lead to bring all this out in the open. I’m getting ready to do a district wide literature drop later in the week, a couple days before the meeting at town hall, to try and get as many people to attend as possible. It’s about time we hold these thief’s accountable for what they steal from us each year.
Lets see if he showes up at the meeting tonight, if he has facts or just BS. If there ARE facts they should be looked into by someone other than the Town Board, someone that can look at it without being afraid of the firefighter votes. But just as in the past, nothing will be done. BECAUSE THEY GOT TO HIM!!! bought him off with a job on that committee.
Your really have no idea what is going on here. Think for a minute why a fire company might need more money. Rising gas prices, insurance costs, equipment replacement costs, etc. I know that Big Tree has had several fundraisers this past year in order to keep taxes down and yes, I attended every one. Were you there? How do you figure last year’s tax increase was hidden? I saw it right in the town board minutes. I value the men and women who risk their lives for us and would do anything to keep them in my neighborhood.
Yello-
Where are your facts from? I have never seen a gun raffle make $50,000. And how do you know they are buying a $35,000 tractor? And i know the highway dept employees are suposed to be taken off the clock if they do go to a call during work.
As of last year Big Tree only actually transported about 40% of all calls to the hospital. Most of the time Rural Metro transports these people and they get billed. So if you consider what you pay for your fire tax and then what you have to pay Rural Metro for care you are getting double billed.
Sounds like he may have something, why are you paying for the fire company if it is only used 40% of the time. Let the people who use the service pay for it not the entire town. Ford could you please post the flyer you intend to pass out in your neighborhood. I would like to see the points you are making and maybe make some calls to friends in your town so they can attend your meeting. When we need an ambulance in Buffalo we get the pro’s, they bill us and all I pay is the co-pay. My mom used it one time and Medicare paid for the ride to the hospital. Why are you paying for a service that they can not provide? I hope they don’t get to you on this one, I would like to read about your meeting in the Buffalo News.
It appeares that the BTFD is afraid to address this post. They just want you to go away so they have been told not to respond. In past posts they had much to say and slandered people that had the to balls to stand up to the bullies in the local Fire Departments. There were several members who claimed to be CHIEF”S of BTFD and other local fire departments. It seems like this issue comes around every year when they hold FIRE PREVENTION WEEK. They pull out the fire equipment that has cost the taxpayers millions and millions of tax $$$$$$$$$ and parade them around town on town fuel, or should I say tax payer fuel.
I understand that many of the fire fighters agree with consolidation but a few who will no longer be CHIEF are against the saving of taxpayer money. Ford I am glad that you have brought this festering subject back into the line light. I will be at any and all of your meetings and have many questions about how my tax $$$$$ are being spent by Big Tree Fire Department and the other 9 or 10 Fire Departments in our Town. I would suggest that you obtian a list of the calls that BTFD was requested to respond to and how many times that they even leave the fire hall. If you can not obtain that information from the Town I suggest that you listen to your scanner. You would be shocked as to how many times their ambulance sat in the building and people in our fire district have to wait up to 30 minutes for Rural Metro to be Dispatched. WE pay for that ambulance and it seldom leaves the fire hall. Could this be another case of Fraud by the BTFD. Something has to be done to correct this problem.
WOULD YOU BUY STOCK IN BIG TREE FIRE DEPARTMENT???
Another fact that I have just recently discovered is that every year the Big Tree VFC hosts a Installation and Awards Banquet in January. This event is catered and costs between 7-12kdollars each year. The fire company hides the true total costs by taking money for different parts of the party out of their hidden “Liquor” account, fund raising account, and town money account. Two of these accounts are totally hidden from the books when it is time for auditing. As to auditing of the company Big Tree has used the same auditor for the last 10 years even though they have been asked numerous times to use a different unrelated auditor. How can this company justify a tax increase to the town when they spend that much money each year on a night event?
Should I bother looking in the Buffalo News in the morning?