Fire board discusses forming citizen committee to pursue funding as insurance costs rise

Board members spent a large portion of the Nov. 24 Tangipahoa Parish Fire District meeting discussing whether to form a committee to seek additional funding for fire services.

Unidentified Speaker (Chair) said several fire chiefs had urged the board to put a committee together to pursue additional funding. Multiple board members expressed support for beginning the dialogue and for including public members on the committee to ensure transparency. One board member recommended involving three council members, three public members and several chiefs.

Speakers at the meeting drew attention to recent insurance-cost pressures on district finances. During discussion a board member stated insurance costs totaled about $850,000 this year and projected roughly $1,700,000 next year. Several members said any future tax or millage proposal should be specific about how funds would be spent and that opening the books to the public was important to obtain voter support.

The chair asked staff (Jill) to email the board to solicit volunteers and suggested a first meeting in early January. Board members agreed to consult with the chiefs association and to propose names for the committee ahead of that meeting. No formal board motion to create the committee was recorded in the provided transcript; the action recorded was a direction to solicit volunteers and discuss nominees.