San Bernardino County Fire was welcomed this week to submit its second “best and final offer” to the city for handling services beyond June 30, when its contract officially expires. But elected officials were still proceeding with plans to reactivate a city-run department.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Cox was clear to temper Tuesday evening that an absolute decision had not been made, a suggestion that the Council still maintained a collective open mind to renewing a contract with County Fire. Yet signs have begun to point to Victorville returning to a city fire department for the first time in a decade, which city officials said would save money over time.
By a 4-1 vote, the Council agreed to the most clear-cut indication to date that the front-runner was the in-house option: It directed staff to “begin steps to implement” a city-run fire department and approved job descriptions, an organizational chart and a budget amendment necessary to prepare for such an overhaul.