The Goulais & District Local Services Board is boosting its spending on fire protection by more than $233,000 in this year’s budget — with the majority of that increase going towards a new, full-time position for the chief of the volunteer fire department.
Kris Rooley will now receive $125,000 per year as chief of Goulais Fire & Rescue Volunteers, a move that’s contributed to a $77-per-year increase in taxes for developed properties and a $55-per-year increase for undeveloped properties.
In an email to SooToday, Goulais & District Local Services Board Chair Jodie Brooks said 178 Goulais River residents attended the Nov. 19 public budget meeting, with the budget passing by a 109-68 vote after more than two hours of “extensive discussions,” between residents and presenters from local agencies.
“After consultation with the Goulais Fire & Rescue, it was strongly felt that a paid position and the resulting budget increase was necessary to keep the service viable,” said Brooks. “This change had been discussed and anticipated for several years.”
Rooley was previously making $26,000 per year as fire chief, which had been a part-time position until the passing of the 2024-2025 budget.
“However, due to the increased workload, responsibilities, and the growth of Goulais Fire & Rescue, as well as the growth of the Goulais River community, it has become necessary to make this change,” Brooks said.
“The administrative job requirements as required by the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) and other government agencies make this a challenging position for a volunteer to fill, especially on a part-time basis.”
As pointed out by some Goulais River residents on social media, Rooley also serves as chief of Searchmont Community Volunteer Fire Department — which has led some commenters to deem his double duty as a conflict of interest.
But the local services board doesn’t see it that way.
Brooks says the fire chief for Goulais has been asked by the OFM to assist Searchmont in meeting its provincial requirements, and that Searchmont’s fire department is responsible for reimbursing Goulais Fire & Rescue Volunteers for any hours the fire chief is requested to serve there during regular business hours, in addition to mileage associated with any Goulais vehicles sent to assist with training of volunteer firefighters in Searchmont.
The board chair also points to a decades-old mutual aid agreement between the fire departments in Goulais River, Searchmont, Aweres Township and Batchawana to ensure that “some or all departments will respond as needed to assist neighbouring communities in emergency situations.”
“Both departments (and other local departments) often train and respond to emergency calls as part of the mutual aid agreement,” said Brooks. “If there are any specific concerns, we would be open to discussing them further.”
This year’s budget for the local services board is $777,991, while the budget for the previous year was $544,372.