As Gov. Jennifer Granholm prepares to finalize the state's budget, officials from East Lansing are making an attempt to save the city's fire-protection funding.
The East Lansing City Council passed a resolution at its Nov. 5 meeting that proposes full funding for fire protection. It was then forwarded to Granholm for her review. Council members say they hope Granholm will consider the resolution when prioritizing the state budget.
"We encourage her to do what she can to fully fund this urgent source of community service," said City Manager Ted Staton. "The more emergency personnel we have, the better we are able to respond to incidents."
The money is part of a public act passed in 1977. The act was designed to allocate fire-protection funding to cities with state institutions such as universities, hospitals and police stations.
Communities throughout the state - 69 in all, including East Lansing - have money designated to them for fire protection as part of the public act.
But in the time since the act was passed, those cities have been unable to receive the full amount allotted to them.
East Lansing officials expect to receive $2 million each year, but Staton has said the city received roughly $443,000 this fiscal year. Only 52 of the 69 municipalities are receiving any kind of funding.
East Lansing Fire Chief Randall Talifarro said he is hopeful the governor will consider the resolution because of increasing pressure on fire departments to provide protection.
With a university that has several labs, research facilities and the largest residence hall system in the country, East Lansing firefighters face additional challenges to provide adequate and timely protection to MSU as well as the city, he said.
"Fire departments nationwide are asked to provide greater and more technical service," Talifarro said in a written statement. "This is especially true for communities that have a major university and all of the high-risk hazards associated with that university."
Talifarro said he doesn't know what to expect from the governor, and will begin to address the situation after the city gets word of her decision.
"It's pretty difficult to say right now," he said. "It's still very early in the process."
Decisions made by the city council following the governor's conclusion also will have an impact on the city's fire departments, Talifarro said.
Ypsilanti Mayor Cheryl Farmer and the Ypsilanti City Council passed a similar resolution in October that was sent to the governor for consideration. Farmer has spearheaded the fight since last spring to get the appropriated funding.
Mayors from cities such as Lansing, Ann Arbor, Mount Pleasant, Kalamazoo and Flint were expected to join in the effort.
Farmer has said she hoped officials could make their resolutions and meet with the governor before the final budget numbers are released so changes could easily be made.
