Monument Fire District, Oct. 22 – 2026 draft budget presented; Chief’s retirement announced

2026 draft budget presentation
Neighboring district relationships
Financial update
Wildland deployment
Chipping success
Facilities update
Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District (TLMFPD) dba Monument Fire District (MFD) meeting on Oct. 22, the board received the 2026 draft budget. During the budget presentation, Fire Chief Andy Kovacs announced his plan to retire at the end of 2026. The board also received several updates on the district’s future plans and fire station projects.

The board held an executive session pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(e) to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, and to instruct negotiators relating to labor negotiations. Legal Counsel Maureen Juran attended the meeting via Microsoft Teams.

Secretary Duane Garrett attended via Microsoft Teams.

2026 draft budget presentation

Kovacs said the delay in receiving the 2024 audits and financial reports for MFD and Donald Wescott Fire Protection District from CBIZ caused a one-month delay in presenting the 2026 draft budget. The district is expecting a total revenue budget of about $24 million (about $19 million from property taxes) with no change to the existing mill levy set at 18.4 mills, and an operations expense budget of $21.794 million.

Kovacs highlighted the following:

Annual cardiac and cancer screening for employees.
A 2.5% Cost of Living Allowance increase.
A workers’ compensation increase of $25,000 for a total of $350,000.
A 1% increase to the matching contributions for the 457 plans for a total of 3%.

The district hired a new auditor, resulting in a cost savings of $7,550 for 2026, and a sales tax study and the cost to search for a fire chief replacement are included in the budget, said Kovacs.

A public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget is scheduled for the Nov. 12 board meeting.

Neighboring district relationships

Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District (BFFRPD) Chair Kiersten Tarvainen thanked Kovacs for helping the BFFRPD board members during the fire chief hiring process.

Note: The BFFRPD Board of Directors hired former Colorado Springs Fire Department/Interim BFFRPD Battalion Chief David Rocco as the permanent fire chief in October.

Kovacs said the proposed 2026 budget includes a feasibility study to explore the possibility of a merger with BFFRPD, with each district contributing to half the cost. As part of a closest unit response agreement over the past two years, the district has responded to the BFFRPD area of responsibility more often than anticipated. In 2026, a more equal shared response will be pursued, said Kovacs.

Financial update

Treasurer Tom Kelly said the district was at 75% of the total budget year to date as of Sept. 30, and presented the following:

The combined overall revenue received year to date was about $21.370 million, and 88.1% of the 2025 income projected annual revenue set at about $24.235 million.
Overall expenses year to date were about $13.726 million, and 73.1% of the projected expense budget set at about $18.764 million.
The district had about $21.615 million in total checking/savings (about $13.537 million in Operations/General Fund). The balance will reduce significantly over the next six months before the property taxes are received in March 2026.

Kelly said the district had received 99.5% of the property taxes for 2025 and about $17.929 million year-to-date of the projected annual revenue of about $18 million.

All 23 electronic transactions were appropriate and within budget, Kelly said, and of note were:

$9,069: OZ Architects FS3/Training Center.
$389,573: Flintco LLC, Administrative office remodel.
$13,280: Capital Construction FS5 Water heater/plumbing repairs
$153,629: Kaiser Permanente Health insurance.
$8,917; Wex Bank Inc. Fleet fuel.

The board unanimously accepted the financial report as presented.

Wildland deployment

Vice President John Hildebrandt requested a profit-and-loss analysis of the wildland deployment program and revenue, and said that when all the expenses and backfill overtime is taken into consideration, it may not be as lucrative as it looks, but there is an opportunity for the firefighters to work harder, obtain additional overtime pay, and gain wildland experience for the district.

Kovacs said there has been a philosophy that wildland deployment generates revenue, and when you look at the profit and loss, it looks like the district’s wildland deployment made $87,000 in 2025, but it really is cost neutral when associated expenses such as food, fuel, lodging, car rentals, flights, repair and maintenance of the apparatus is factored into the profit. The intent is not to make money but to provide staff with expertise and knowledge should a wildland fire occur within the district.

Director Tim De Leon asked if the district has data on the deployed staff’s wildland qualifications gained during deployment and individual task book maintenance.

Kovacs said that during the accreditation process, a recommendation was made to evaluate the successes of wildland deployments and determine better ways to make the program more robust. Accreditation Manager Victoria Slater will evaluate the wildland program to meet the accreditation team’s recommendation.

Chipping success

Director André Mouton thanked the district for supplying a second chipping crew to the neighborhood between Kings Deer and Arrowwood Drive and helping the annual chipping event close by noon. Mouton said, “The chipping event in his neighborhood was the third year in a five-year plan, and kudos to the staff for supporting the chipping program, making a difference reducing fuel loads, and resulting in the ancillary benefits of neighbors helping each other to become cohesive.”

Hildebrandt concurred with Mouton and said his neighborhood benefited from the program the previous week, with 14 people helping to mitigate 18 homes.

Kovacs thanked the communities for helping the crew complete mitigation events and making neighborhoods safer.

Facilities update

Kovacs said the following:

The training tower installation is planned for next summer, and training would begin in fall 2026. The Town of Monument Public Works will bring the water line to Station 1, and the installed tap will also support a couple of fire hydrants for firefighter training.
Contractors are being interviewed to construct the Station 3 remodel (north of the YMCA).
The reinstallation of the Station 2 cement drains is complete, and the project is curing over the next two weeks. The Station 2 crews are operating from Station 5 until they can reoccupy the station.

President Mark Gunderman said the sale of the former Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Station 3 (Sun Hills Drive) will be discussed after an opinion from Juran has been made at the beginning of 2026.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at about 6:49 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(e) to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, and to instruct negotiators relating to labor negotiations with the Local 4319 International Association of Firefighters.

Kovacs confirmed to this reporter that when the board returned to regular session at 7:11 p.m., no action was taken and the meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. The meeting will be preceded by a Volunteer Pension Board meeting at 4 p.m. 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.