Firefighting officials lambasted Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday, saying his proposed budget fix would make firefighting even riskier by taking away dedicated training funds to help erase the state deficit.
"The governor is raiding this dedicated fund that insures firefighters are properly trained and equipped," said Tom Thornberg, president of the Minnesota Professional Firefighters union. "The governor's budget doesn't protect public safety or firefighters."
At issue is $9.9 million in training funds, revenue raised by a surcharge on fire insurance policies. The sum is a relatively modest part of the $825 million in cuts Pawlenty recommended Monday, but firefighters and chiefs say it would be a blow to training and emergency response capability at a time when city finances already are stretched.
Thornberg spoke at a St. Paul news conference as part of a statewide media campaign by a fire service coalition seeking to protect the money.
Pawlenty's chief spokesman, Brian McClung, said the governor's plan would tap surplus funds in the Fire Safety Surcharge account and still leave $2 million available for training.
"We recognize there are some difficult reductions in the governor's budget-balancing plan," McClung said.
"He shouldn't be taking any of it. It is not surplus money. It was collected for these [training] uses," said Nile Zikmund, fire chief of the Blaine, Spring Lake Park and Mounds View joint department.
The Fire Safety Surcharge is a 0.65 percent fee that fire insurers charge homeowners and commercial policy holders. The money pays for the state fire marshal's office and for training local firefighters and regional emergency teams. The surcharge was passed by the Legislature and signed by Pawlenty in 2006, replacing a tax that had been in place. However, the money can't be spent until the governor and Legislature authorize it.
