Following a seven-month, citywide debate over firefighter staffing levels, Camas leaders are considering hiring four new firefighters in 2019.
Camas City Administrator Pete Capell and Finance Director Cathy Huber Nickerson presented the idea to the Camas City Council at a workshop held Monday, Sept. 17.
The city council is expected to review the mayor’s recommended 2019-20 budget on Monday, Oct. 1.
The hires are projected to cost Camas about $251,000 in 2019 and $259,000 in 2020. Those figures represent 60 percent of the total cost, as the city of Washougal would need to approve the additions and foot the other 40 percent of the bill — bringing the annual combined sum closer to $500,000.
The Camas City Council is in the midst of its biennial budget process, and options for funding the new hires are still up in the air. City council members again floated new revenue stream ideas, including a $20 vehicle registration fee and potential utility taxes, at the Monday workshop.