The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors recently decided to use TOT funds to pay for fire dispatch services previously paid from the general fund – effectively cutting $367,000 from firefighter’s budgets very late in the budgeting process. Such a decision needed to be made months earlier – and with proper notice to the firefighter’s impacted. A summary presentation was made by the County at its August 11 Board meeting, showing a county in deficit and fire funds in surplus. However the devil is in the details – details that should have been ironed out earlier this year. When the final budget is approved at the September 8 Board meeting, we hope funding can be restored – but more importantly, we need trust to be restored between the County and our brave firefighters. When I am your Supervisor, funding details such as these will be my top priority.