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OCN > 2411 > Monument Fire District, Oct. 8 and 23 – 2025 proposed budget presentations

Monument Fire District, Oct. 8 and 23 – 2025 proposed budget presentations

By Natalie Barszcz

The Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District dba Monument Fire District (MFD) held a special meeting on Oct. 8 after the Sept. 25 meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum. The board received the first presentation of the 2025 budget and accepted a petition for inclusion of real property, before setting a public hearing for the special meeting on Nov. 13.

At the regular meeting on Oct. 23, the board received the second presentation of the 2025 proposed budget with some minor updates. The board heard about a study of impact fees and sales tax collection and received updates at both meetings on the remodel of Stations 4 and 2, the Station 1 training center, the Station 3 rebuild design, and the land purchase for a future Station 6.

For updates on the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) merger process, see the DWFPD article on page < 7 >.

Vice President John Hildebrandt was excused on Oct 8. President Mike Smaldino was excused on Oct. 23.

2025 proposed budget presentations

Fire Chief Andy Kovacs said a few changes were made to the proposed 2025 budget after the first presentation on Oct. 8, and he reviewed the budget highlighting the following:

  • The projected property tax revenue is about $18 million (combines both MFD and about $4 million in DWFPD property taxes) and the district anticipates, with miscellaneous revenue, specific ownership tax, ambulance revenue, an EMS supplement, the remaining DWFPD contract, and wildland deployment revenue, a total of about $24.235 million (up about $2.189 million from 2024).
  • The projected expenses are estimated to be about $18.727 million for 2025, with about $11.725 million dedicated to wages and about $3.5 million for benefits.
  • The district will maintain a competitive salary and benefits package, and is thankfully not losing employees to South Metro and other agencies that are of like size and comparable to the district.
  • The district will maintain training and educational opportunities.
  • Benefits continue to rise, as the workforce is marrying, having families, and driving costs up for health insurance and overtime during maternity and paternity leave.
  • The district will begin a hiring process on Jan. 1, 2025 for a part-time bookkeeper position with a salary of $50,000. The district has had about four or five since he became fire chief, and he proposed cancelling the existing contract. A part-time bookkeeper will save several thousand dollars.
  • The ending general operations fund balance is expected to be about $4.673 million and necessary to cover operating expenses for the first quarter of 2025. The bulk of the property tax revenue is received in March. The district general operations (wages and benefits) cost is about $1.5 million per month.

Treasurer Tom Kelly said the bulk of the district expenses is used for human resources, and the district did not spend all of the allocated funds for the capital improvements in 2024.

Kovacs said the processes for the capital improvements are taking longer than anticipated.

Note: The public hearing for the proposed 2025 budget will be held at the special meeting on Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Property tax revenue decrease

Kovacs said that although the district is not proposing a mill levy increase for 2025, it is anticipating a property tax valuation decrease of about $1.242 or about 6.4% in FY2025 due to the state Legislature passing SB 24-233 and HB 24B-1001, in response to the failure of Propositions 50 and 108 in November 2023. The future economic situation of the district could be impacted due to some of the legislation that passed earlier in 2024 and the increased cost of human resources, apparatus, material goods, and services, he said.

NEXUS study required

Kovacs said the department is considering diversifying revenue sources and seeking impact fees and levying sales tax as a result of SB24-194 passing in early 2024. Fire protection districts are now permitted to collect impact fees in unincorporated areas of the county and collect sales tax to boost revenue. In the past, the district was permitted only to collect impact fees for properties built within the Town of Monument (TOM). Fire chiefs had requested county-wide impact fees through the El Paso County Board of Commissioners in 2018, but those requests were denied. The state fire chiefs successfully presented the need for impact fees in unincorporated areas to the state House of Representatives in early 2024. The 2025 budget includes $20,000 to engage a consultant to conduct a NEXUS study that is required before implementing the impact fees and/or sales tax, he said.

Future hiring

Executive Battalion Chief Micah Coyle said the district had received 152 applications for future firefighter positions, a record number for the district. About 75 applicants passed the written exam for an entry-level firefighter position and about 55 have been selected for an oral board interview to create a list of potential hires.

Kovacs said the high number of applicants was due to the district’s social media company “Red Energy,” but the district is not hiring firefighters until the financial future is known. However, an eligibility list will be retained in the event that retirements or resignations occur.

Financial report

Treasurer Tom Kelly said that as of Sept. 30, the district is at 75% of the total amount to be considered in line with annual projections. Overall revenue year to date is about $22.5 million, approximately 102% of the projected 2024 income budget set at about $22 million. (That includes a little over $2 million for the Wescott contract for services). Overall expenses year to date are about $12.527 million or 76.6% of the projected expense budget set at about $16.336 million. Overtime is at 107.16% year to date or about $51,000 over the budgeted $710,000 annual budget for the shift workers. The board reviewed 30 electronic transmissions over $2,500 for August at the Oct. 8 meeting, and 22 for September on Oct. 23. Of note were:

  • $118,470 PNC Equipment Lease Engine Lease Payment
  • $80,208 OZ Architecture Training Center/Fire Station 2 & 3
  • $82,336 Flintco LLC Station 4 remodel
  • $9,935 Wex Bank Inc. Fleet Fuel
  • $36,998 Elevate Healthcare EMS Mannequin
  • • $24,330 Strategic Site Design Training Center
  • $8,186 OZ Architecture Fire Stations 2, 3, and 4
  • $141,473 Flintco LLC Fire Station 4
  • $8,552 Wex Bank LLC Fleet Fuel
  • $107,700 TLMFPD Gen Ops Fund Deposit Reserve Account

Every transaction appeared appropriate and within the 2024 budget, Kelly said. As of Sept. 30, the checking and savings accounts totaled about $20.534 million with about $13.2 million in the Operations and General Fund, he said.

The board accepted the financial reports as presented, 6-0.

Kovacs said multiple factors were causing the increase in overtime hours for the shift workers, such as the DWFPD staff moving to the MFD payroll and maternity/paternity leave, and the district has experienced the highest number of workers compensation injuries in 2024.

Station 4 remodel

Division Chief of Administration Jamey Bumgarner thanked the board for approving the remodel of Station 4, Gleneagle Drive. He received numerous positive comments from the residents and the crews at the ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 12. The district has budgeted about $8.632 million to complete the northside paramedic accommodation at Station 4, Gleneagle Drive. See snapshot on page < 21 >.

Station 2 remodel

Bumgarner said the district received nine bids for the remodel of Station 2, Roller Coaster Road. John Sattler of NV5, the district’s owners representative, will review the bids and the recommendation will be presented to the board on Nov. 13. The district budgeted about $2 million for the project scheduled to begin in January 2025.

Station 1 Training Center

Bumgarner said the district is ready for a public hearing with the Town of Monument Planning Commission in late January or early February and a hearing with Monument Town Council in March. The district will likely be moving dirt and installing infrastructure for the training center at Station 1 in mid-2025, and building could begin in early fall. He has been attending meetings with the town planners to work through the process to plat the site.

Fire Station 3 update

Bumgarner said the final site plan for the platting of the lot north of YMCA, the future Station 3 location, is almost finished. The district will likely break ground in late 2025 due to the site development taking up most of the year. The district expects to close on the land purchase mid-year, and the building phase will take at least two years until completion.

Land purchase future Station 6

Bumgarner said due to the district having no site plan for the 2-acre parcel the district is planning to purchase from QuikTrip for a future Station 6, the TOM is taking a different direction on the plat approval for the land. He is working with the town planners to develop a site plan, but the cost will be to the district to plat the site. It is a difficult not knowing what the district will develop on the site in the future, he said.

Vehicle storage agreement

The board approved an Assignment and Assumption agreement for vehicle storage at its Sun Hills Drive property, the former DWFPD Station 3. See DWFPD article on page < 7 >.

Inclusion request

At the Oct. 8 meeting, Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction Jonathan Bradley said the district had received a request for inclusion into the district in a rural area of the district at 5775 Mountain Shadow View, Colorado Springs.

The board approved the request for the inclusion, pending the public hearing on Nov. 13.

Note: The chief’s report and the financial report can be found at www.monumentfire.org.

The special meeting adjourned at 7:58 p.m. on Oct 8. The regular meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. on Oct 23.

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Meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday every month. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. For Microsoft Teams virtual joining instructions, agendas, minutes, and updates, visit www.monumentfire.org or contact Director of Administration Jennifer Martin at 719-484-9011.

Natalie Barszcz can be reached at nataliebarszcz@ocn.me.

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