By SAMANTHA SARACINO
6 News Reporter
MAYNARDVILLE (WATE) - Union County volunteer firefighters were relieved Monday to learn the budgets would not be cut.
The county finance and budget committee proposed earlier this month a 20 percent cut for all non-profit agencies, including the county's four volunteer fire departments.
With the cut, each department would only get $16,000 from the county instead of $20,000.
Union County firefighters filled the room at the commission meeting to express their concern about the proposed budget cut. The chiefs of each department spoke about how difficult it would be to operate with fewer funds.
"It could have been as serious as some of us having to close our doors. It might not have been the next day, but in the near future it was evident it was going to happen," said Joey McBee, with the Luttrell Volunteer Fire Department.
A motion to pass the proposed budget cut failed and a new motion was presented to keep non-profits at the same amount they received last year.
The vote in favor of keeping funding the same was a relief to firefighters.
"It's not a little relief to me. It's a lot," Northeast Volunteer Fire Department Chief Gordon Sartain said. "I was real worried that I wasn't going to be able to pay the bills and that's heaped on my shoulders because it's got to get done."
Firefighters did not get an increase in their budget, which they had asked for, but they say they are happy with the same funding.
"This is doable now. The $16,000 they were offering before, it would have been tough on a lot of the departments," Sartain said.
"The money that was approved tonight shows that the bills will be paid. It will keep the doors open. Our insurance will be paid. Our utilities will be paid," McBee said.
Mayor Mike Williams says he was happy with the final outcome.
"We're very happy we could do what we've done. There's no one here that questions their heart, their intent or the job they do. We are trying to protect our county financially and tonight we did that," Mayor Williams said.
The firefighters say the $20,000 will ensure that they can keep their doors open and pay their bills. Still, there will always be a need for donations from the community to allow them to do their job with the safest equipment possible.
Union County Volunteer Firefighters filled the room at the commission meeting all to express their concern about the proposed budget cut.
"I was real worried that I wasn't going to be able to pay the bills and that's heaped on my shoulders because it's got to get done," explained Gordon Sartain, Chief of the Northeast Volunteer Fire Department.
