To the Editor,

Over the past several months, the city of Weirton seems to be in some sort of financial difficulty. An old saying says, “if you do not know what lies ahead, on the path you’re walking, you could easily fall into an unseen hole.” Wanting to increase and upgrade the fire department by six additional members seems like a great idea, but only if there is sound reasoning and justification for increasing its size. I’m all for keeping the city protected, especially when it comes to fire protection, but can this increase be fully substantiated to a specific need? After a clear “needs” assessment is made, now comes how do you fund the increase, on a permanent basis, for the foreseeable future.

The idea of increasing six additional firemen will come very close to $1 million annually. This includes salaries, health benefits, insurance, equipment, and training, to name a few. This does not include the purchase of new fire trucks, utilities, insurance and maintenance to the County Road building to house the firefighters. So, where can you find a funding source?

The idea on the table is to increase the Municipal Service Fee, from $2 to $5 per week. Looking at it annually, the cost would rise from $104 to $260 per year per person. Question; do you have enough high paying jobs in Weirton to produce nearly $1 million annually to dedicate to this one upgrade? The Service Fee is a variable source of income, not fixed. If the workforce declines so does the income. If this plan goes through and six additional firefighters are hired, will the city decrease the firefighters if the revenue source decreases? If you believe selecting a variable revenue source, will support a long-term need, you are about ready to fall into a very large hole.

Sadly, the ones who have to shoulder the financial burden are the workers, the very workers the city wants to attract into the city. Will the existing businesses and current employees agree to this planned increase or will they just up and leave? I believe there has to be more thought given before a final decision is made. My next question is; how can the city support a full-time, long-term investment of six new firefighters on a variable income?

Then on Friday, February 13, the Weirton Area Water Board was ordered by the Public Service Commission to begin implementing a $190 million water infrastructure upgrade. So, in light of this enormous price tag, can the city afford to add six additional firefighters, at nearly $1 million annual increase, at this time? It appears water lines have been breaking weekly and is a higher priority concern. Caution; make sure you have all the facts before making a costly decision.

Thomas Zielinsky

Weirton