TITLE
HOLD a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending the FY 2016 Annual Budget and Plan of Municipal Services of the City of Killeen by increasing General Fund revenues by $894,529 and various General Fund operating expenditure accounts by $894,529.
SUMMARY
AGENDA ITEM
2014 SAFER Grant Budget Amendment
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
Finance / Fire Department
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On October 6, 2015, the City Council approved resolution 15-114R accepting award of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) FY 2014 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to fund thirty-seven (37) positions needed to staff Fire Station Nine, scheduled to open January 2017. The SAFER grant is a competitive program that was created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help increase the number of frontline firefighters, thus assuring the community has adequate protection. The program provides awards to assist in paying salaries and associated benefits of newly-hired Fire Rescue Officers. The City Council accepted the award of the SAFER Grant on October 6, 2015, in the amount of $4,443,404.00 over a two-year period. In the third year, the City will be responsible for the cost of the positions awarded as a result of the grant in the third year.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
The SAFER Grant awarded the full amount requested in the City’s application which will help fund the first two years of salaries and benefits for thirty-seven (37) new Fire Rescue Officer positions. The first-year salary and benefits cost of the Fire Rescue Officer positions was calculated to be $2,114,365; the second year, $2,329,039. The total cost of both years is $4,443,404.The performance period for the Fire and Rescue Officers will begin on May 2, 2016. Therefore, this budget amendment will cover the remaining five months in FY201...
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