Following several in-depth budget hearings the last few months, it took the Sedona Fire District’s Governing Board less than three minutes to approve next year’s budget, which begins July 1.
The unanimous vote came on Tuesday, June 15.
The Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget was approved at $19,736,145. This represents a 5% increase over the current budget of $18,795,507.
Board Chairman David Soto praised the work done by Chief Jon Trautwein and his entire staff, along with the board, which spent many hours working on the upcoming budget.
“This amount, we looked at every line item and every penny,” he said. “I wanted to make sure we were headed in the right direction each and every time something came up. The cost to operate this type of fire service in this community is not cheap. We are utilizing every penny to its fullest extent. Make no doubt about that.”
With the increase in property value comes a bump in the taxes generated for the district. The projected amount of tax dollars from Coconino County is $3,978,928 — a 4.48% increase over the current year. The Yavapai County tax amount is $12,296,162, a 6.28% rise from the 2020-2021 budget. Included in the budget is another $3,056,961 in non-tax revenues with $2.1 million coming from insurance ambulance billings.
Like all fire districts or municipalities, salaries and benefits make up the bulk of the budget. The total budgeted for next year — which includes salaries, benefits and retirement — is $15,395,007. This is an increase of $1,092,793, or 7.64%.
The day following the meeting, Trautwein said his entire team began working on the budget in January along with the board meetings and workshops. He said their strategic plan included:
■ Provide a budget accurate to the District’s needs.
■ Be as effective as possible from a fiduciary standpoint.
■ Forecast District needs into the future.
■ Continue to develop and implement initiatives to manage the budget.
■ Integrate their strategic plan with their budget.
“I believe we accomplished these strategic goals,” he added.
