69����

The Lakeside Fire District consists of 11 municipalities across Rock, Jefferson and Dane counties, in what it calls two “divisions.” The district is based in the city of Edgerton, and includes the city of Milton and towns of Milton, Fulton, Albion, Sumner, Porter, Harmony, Johnstown, Koshkonong and Lima.

The city of Milton is part of the district’s east division. According to the budget, the city will pay $27,216.16 in dues for 2025, which is the same as 2024. The east division budget is about $2.2 million.

The district is levying $459,836 on the city, down from $465,552 in 2024. The district is levying about $1.35 million overall on the district.

In the west region, the draft budget has expenses slated to go up because of a request for additional paramedics. EMS expenses are slated to go up to $704,977 from $670,691

Wendy Lovelace, the Edgerton city clerk, said that the city of Edgerton has approved the fire district’s annual budget and set aside an approved portion for the fire district. However it has not approved any amendments made to the budget that the fire district voted on.

The town of Milton will consider the fire district budget at its town board meeting on Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m., said Tiffany Chinn Barsness, the town of Milton clerk treasurer.

Fulton Clerk Town Clerk Lisa Rindahl said approval of the fire district budget is on the town board’s agenda for Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.

Lakeside Fire District Chief Randy Pickering said the district board voted on a budget but then added additional staff to the west division and the municipalities need to vote on that.

He said a fully amended budget will go back before all the municipalities in January that will need majority approval.

The town of Albion also approved the budget Tuesday.

Reporter Ryan Spoehr contributed to this report.

This article has been updated.