The board of Vashon’s fire department has approved what officials there call a lean budget for next year.

The 2015 budget for Vashon Island Fire & Rescue was first presented to the board in late November and was approved 4-1 at a board meeting last Tuesday, Dec. 9. The $4.7 million budget maintains VIFR’s staffing levels for emergency responders but sets $200,000 in a reserve to tide the district over should Vashon’s paramedics be absorbed into South King County’s Medic One system in July, a move that is expected to cause a $400,000 annual shortfall. To help balance the budget, Fire Chief Hank Lipe chose to outsource some financial work formerly done by an administrative assistant who resigned this year for personal reasons, a move that will save about $60,000 a year. The district will also hold off on any capital projects in 2015.

Commissioner Ron Turner voted no on the spending plan, saying he took issue with a pay raise given to another administrative assistant who will take on additional duties. That employee was at the top of her pay scale, so Lipe added a step in order to give her a raise. Turner also opposed a plan to give Assistant Chief George Brown an added week of administrative leave, for a total of three weeks, with an option to cash it out.

“It’s supposed to be a bare-bones budget,” Turner said at last week’s meeting.

Chair Camille Staczek and commissioner Rex Stratton said at the meeting that they supported the extra compensation given, with Stratton adding he believes the board should let Lipe set salaries and not micro-manage.

“I don’t think we should dictate to the chief how he administers pay to people who work for him,” he said.

VIFR is beginning a strategic planning process that will examine the district’s finances and staffing levels for the coming years. Public meetings are in the works for early next year.