“We are basically taking care of the entire county, and the county is not paying their fair share,” declared Fairfield Mayor Roy Hill during a recent budget workshop, concerning the monies received by the Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department.
Several new items are being considered by the Fairfield City Council during budget talks these last several weeks, including street repair, animal control and an update to the kitchen at the Conference Center.
At the top of the list is discussion of a paid Fire Department:  what it would look like and how the city might pay for it.
According to Fire Chief Matt Foree, for the last several years, Freestone County Commissioners have voted to give each volunteer fire department a flat $10,000 a year.
“You have a fire department with 25 calls a year.  They get $10,000,” says Chief Foree.  “We are already at 300 for the year.”
Chief Foree relates that the county money is used for fuel, and they are normally out of money before the end of the year.  That is when the department begins to use private donations.
There are 7 volunteer fire departments in Freestone County:  Butler, Dew, Fairfield, Southern Oaks, Streetman and Teague.
They are partially supported through funds from government entities, such as the County or the City in which they reside.  Some also apply for various grants.
The volunteer fire departments also receive donations from the public and raise money through annual fundraisers.
County Commissioners recently completed their budget process, during which the volunteer fire departments submit a copy of their expenses for the 2015 fiscal year. 
(Only one fire department included the number of calls made for the year in the submitted documentation.)
Total expenses range from $10,000 for Wortham VFD to over $44,500 for Southern Oaks VFD, which included a truck purchase this year. 
At $14,971.89 for the past year, Fairfield VFD is in the middle of the pack.
Each fire department may receive $10,000 from the County this year.  Any other revenue required to continue operations will need to be raised elsewhere.
“At the end of the day, we are going to do the right thing,” said Mayor Hill.