Issues with the billing of local townships for fire services from the Princeton Fire and Rescue Department are close to a resolution following the work of city staff.
During the Princeton City Council meeting on Thursday, April 25, City Administrator Michele McPherson provided the council with an update on the progress of the billing issues.
The Princeton Fire and Rescue Department (PFRD) services multiple neighboring townships in the area, and each year, Princeton bills those townships for the services its fire department provides them.
After receiving multiple complaints from township leadership and residents regarding the billing issues, McPherson began working through the city’s records of the billing to those townships and uncovered multiple errors since 2018. Since then, she, alongside other city staff, have worked to resolve those issues.
In the March 28 council meeting, the council shared that since the retirement of the city’s previous accountant who used to handle the billing, they have been unable to ask questions about the billing, payments, and documentation of those items. McPherson said at that time there were a lot of documents to sort through that were not organized as well as they should have been.
In the April 25 meeting, McPherson recommended that the council approve refunding the townships affected by the billing errors by a one-time deduction of their yearly bills. The council voted to approve the recommendation.
McPherson also said that the city owes an additional $34,272 to Wyanett Township after the township was over-billed when the city purchased a new truck. McPherson recommended that the city pay Wyanett Township back, but that they delay the refund until after the city’s audit or until the first quarter of 2025 to allow the city the opportunity to budget for the loss of those funds and to determine where the funds will come from.
Both the City Council and Wyanett Township Supervisor Ken Murray, who was in attendance at the meeting, were in concurrence with the recommendation.
Fire chief hiring process update
Also during the April 25 council meeting, the council worked to iron out two additional issues related to the hiring process of a new fire chief.
The previous fire chief, Ron Lawrence, retired from the position effective March 1 after the PFRD issued a vote of no confidence against him in December 2023.
According to City Administrator Michele McPherson, the deadline for applications for the part-time fire chief position closed on April 5, and the city received a total of seven applicants.
During the April 11 City Council meeting, the council reviewed, adjusted, and approved the hiring process for the new fire chief, which includes two interviews.
Originally, the council approved a limit on the number of candidates who will move on to the second round of interviews at three individuals. However, McPherson brought the number back to the council on April 25 to request that the council provide a little more flexibility in the number by allowing up to four candidates to move on to the second interview. The council approved the request.
Lastly, the council coordinated with McPherson and decided on a council member who will participate in the first interview. Council member Jack Edmonds volunteered to participate.
The first round of interviews are scheduled for Saturday, May 4, after which the top candidates will be selected and move forward with the second interview. The date of the second round is yet to be determined.
For more information about the fire chief hiring process, visit the Union-Times article at https://tinyurl.com/2uhku5bs.
Additional information about the hiring of a new fire chief will be available in the Union-Times as it becomes available.
Reach Chloe Smith at chloe.smith@apgecm.com
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