To the surprise of many in the audience, the Burlington City Council…without discussion…unanimously accepted a nearly-half-million-dollar federal Fire Department grant last(Mon) night.
The comments came later…and although Fire Department Captain Eric Bollinger thanked the Council for its consideration, he was much more critical in his assessment of the overall budget process, saying life & death decisions were being made by people(Council members) who are more concerned with budgets than safety, and just because the City accepted the federal grant, does not mean the Fire Department is back to full strength.
The grant will pay all salaries and benefits of three full-time firefighter-paramedics for two years.
