WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A rise in operating expenses for the Williamstown Fire Department will be offset by lower debt service payments on the new fire station, resulting in a slightly smaller tax bill from the district, officials noted last week.

 

One week after the Prudential Committee, which oversees the district, reviewed the fiscal articles it will send to May's annual district meeting, the fire chief explained that while operational funding is up by by nearly $125,000 from the current fiscal year to FY27, a drop in principal and interest payments will make up the difference.

 

Currently, the tax rate for the district — a separate taxing entity apart from town government — is projected to be $1.15 per $1,000 of valuation in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The current rate is $1.24.

 

In FY26, district taxpayers paid $1.9 million toward principal and interest for the Main Street fire station. The draft warrant for the May 26 annual district meeting calls for $1.7 million to be raised for that capital expense, a drop of just more than $198,000.

 

"The impact of the new debt and, indeed, the entire budget is offset by certain revenue items, particularly the $5.5 million in gifts from Williams College and the Clark [Art Institute]," Chief Jeffrey Dias wrote in an email discussing the proposed budget.

 

The $500,000 pledge from the Clark and the $5 million donated by Williams College are being utilized at the start of the payback period for the bonds that fund the station's construction — when those payments are higher.

 

Melissa Cragg, chair of the Fire District's Finance Committee, explained that the use of those gifts early in the process will not necessarily mean a sticker shock down the road.

 

"Bond payments drop from $1.92 million this year to $1.72 million in fiscal year 2027 and stay at that level through fiscal 2029, the last year of the gifts," Cragg wrote in a separate email. "Bond payments drop to about $1.21 million in fiscal year 2030, the first year without gifts.

 

"Without planning, one might expect a sudden tax increase at that point to cover the $590K difference between $1.1 million in gifts and a $510K drop in bond payments. Planning is already underway, however, addressing tax levels for 2028 and 2029, free cash generation between 2026-29, stabilization, sale of the old building, equipment purchases, and, importantly, grants. Some of these items increase the tax burden, while others decrease it.

 

"I don't expect a big jump all at once, though."

 

As for the jump in operating expenses from FY26 to FY27, Dias said that is partly an adjustment to what he saw as underfunding when he arrived in town and partly a change in how he classifies an expense.

 

Last year, the district meeting approved a $90,000 line item for the pay of firefighters. After Dias started on the job, the district held a special meeting on July 1 to transfer $20,000 from its stabilization account to the payroll line and another $20,000 to its maintenance and operation budget.

 

Dias noted in his letter this week that he was not involved in planning for the FY26 budget passed at the May district meeting.

 

"Neither the Finance Committee nor I were involved with developing the 2026 budget," Dias wrote. "I started on May 1, 2025, and the warrant was already set in stone. Looking at the increase in call volume, I projected that despite the significant increase in payroll, that it may still fall short. … The Williamstown Fire Department has seen a nearly 84 percent increase in call volume in the last three years, from 249 incidents in 2023 to 458 incidents in 2025."

 

The pay of firefighters line for FY26 ($90,000 approved at the annual meeting plus the $20,000 added from stabilization) climbs to $139,900 (27 percent) in the proposed warrant for this year's district meeting. But, Dias notes, that $139,900 figure is more comprehensive than years past.

 

"That [$139,900] took funds in from other accounts to keep all payroll except career salaries in one line," Dias wrote. "For example, when people attended training, the pay used to come out of the training account. I moved money from training into the payroll line, which was a net zero cost. 

 

"This being the first full budget since my arrival, many things were moved around to allow for accurate budget tracking as well as allowing me to be able to see trending and forecast future needs better."

 

The "education/training" line in the budget, $23,000 in FY26, is funded at $15,500 in the draft FY27 budget.

 

The biggest new line item in the operations budget, a $100,000 category labeled "new fire station contingency," could be a one-year expense that ends up going to free cash if the department does not encounter big-ticket expenses related to settling into its new home. Without that contingency, the operation budget is up by a little less than $25,000 (if the $40,000 from stabilization is considered part of the FY26 budget), or 3.4 percent.

 

Compared to the FY26 budget passed at the May 2025 annual meeting — and taking out the $100,000 contingency — the proposed budget is up by just less than $65,000, or 9.4 percent.

 

One other significant change from the FY26 meeting to the FY27 meeting comes in Article 9 (Article 7 last May).

 

Last year, the district sought the permission of the district meeting members to raise $12,000, "for the purchase of firefighter turnout gear and persona. protective equipment (PPE) for members of the Department."

 

The draft warrant for next month's meeting includes, in Article 9, an $80,000 appropriation for, "replacing outdated or unserviceable fire department equipment, including but not limited to Personal Protective Equipment, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, Radio Equipment, Hoses and Nozzles, and all related firematic equipment necessary for mission performance."

 

Dias said the $68,000 increase is needed to ensure firefighter safety.

 

"We're transitioning the department to a budget model (Article 9) that includes a steady, predictable program for equipment renewal," he wrote this week. "This will enable us to stabilize the tax rate and avoid sudden fluctuations when equipment replacements come due, all while enhancing public and firefighter safety. This is significantly different from the comparison to last year's article that allocated $12,000 for Personal Protective Equipment only."