Finance Committee Unanimously Recommends Fitchburg's 2024 Operating Budget

FITCHBURG -- October 4, 2023, Fitchburg Finance Committee unanimously advances 2024 city operating budget to Common Council. The committee voted to recommend Resolution R-187-23 at the conclusion of a two-night series of departmental budget presentations, with council-proposed amendments due the Friday following a public hearing set for the next Tuesday council meeting and final adoption scheduled for November 14. Fire Chief Paul Vermacher secured inclusion of a new battalion chief position and one of two requested career firefighters in the mayor's proposed budget, while noting a roughly $900,000-to-$1-million fire engine purchase will be debt-financed in 2024; he also reported an $85,000 annual reduction in Danecom radio costs transferred to Dane County. EMS Chief Anderson said the department is on pace to exceed 5,000 calls this year, up approximately 20 percent, and highlighted grant-funded acquisition of handheld point-of-care ultrasound equipment. City Administrator Chad Brecklin outlined a benefit package including two weeks of paid parental leave, a consolidated PTO bank with a net one-day increase, and a raise in new-hire vacation from two to three weeks, calling the parental leave proposal "a good jumping off point."