Midway eyes budget cuts as Broome schedules retirement
BY SCOTT PAGE Gulf Breeze News Scott@gulfbreezenews.com

Demeter

Due to the passing of Amendment One, Midway Fire District is facing a reduction in revenue, but the exact extent of the reduction will not be known until Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser Greg Brown files his report on June 1. To complicate matters, Midway Commissioner Clyde Broome resigned from his long tenure as treasurer.

At the last Midway meeting on April 8, Fire Chief Stephen Demeter submitted two agenda items that addressed the future of this issue.

The first was a proposed addition to the District's Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual. The proposal provides clear instructions for the administration to follow in the event of workforce reductions.

"This addition is designed to protect the district as far as the positions that we must have filled," Demeter said at the meeting.

Prior to the meeting the manual didn't provide any guidelines for reductions.

"When we wrote it, we didn't really anticipate that we would make any significant reductions," Jacque Gorris, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

Chief Demeter also submitted a list of three scenarios that could come out of the June 1 report. The document states its purpose is to inform Midway employees that could be affected by the budget reduction plan.

Scenario one would be that the staff receives a preliminary notice indicating that there is no significant change in revenue and the staff will take no action.

Scenario two would see the notice showing that the taxable value of property in the district has decreased, but is still more than $1.675 billion. This scenario would cause the elimination of the administrative lieutenant position, the elimination of one firefighter position, three battalion chiefs and two lieutenants to be rolled back to their previous positions and take a five percent decrease in pay and staff to put together a fee schedule for inspections in order to offset the costs of the inspector positions. Scenario Two would leave a remaining staff of 20 personnel on shift, one fire inspector, an administrative clerk and the chief.

Scenario three would consist of a notice showing that the taxable value of property has decreased and is less than $1.675 billion. Staff would be forced to eliminate the assistant lieutenant position and three firefighter positions, roll back three battalion chiefs and two lieutenants to their previous positions with a five percent decrease in pay and put together a fee schedule for fire inspections. Scenario three would leave a remaining staff of 18 personnel on shift, one fire inspector, an administrative clerk and the chief.

The board of commissioners passed both items by a unanimous vote.

"We're just trying to give our staff a heads-up so they are aware of what the future may bring," Gorris said. "The real action will take place on June 1. Everything between now and then is pure speculation."

At the end of the meeting, Treasurer Clyde Broome announced that he would not run for re-election to the board of commissioners after 13 years of service, 11 as treasurer. Broome provided all present with a letter, directed to the other board members and Governor Charlie Christ, that cited he decided not to seek another term "because of the effects of Amendment One and the uncertainty of what lies in the future."

Broome also added that he believes "that the Governor and others do not understand, or care, how independent fire districts are funded."

He closed his letter by expressing his pleasure gained in being a part of the team that offered the best possible fire and medical services to the community.

The next scheduled meeting will take place on May 13 at 7 p.m. at Station 35 located at 1322 College Parkway.