Rural public-safety budgets and staffing remain strained

Washington County approved $1.17 million in public-safety pay-step increases, while budget discussions cite a proposed 30% department increase, a 4.9% dispatch increase, and 123 unfilled dispatch shifts. A statewide study finds widespread reliance on volunteer fire departments and reports that nearly half surveyed had missed some calls because of staffing, but offers no Washington County-specific findings.