The Blanco County Emergency Services District #2 board passed a budget of just over $1.9 million for fiscal year 2021 at its July 21 meeting.

The budget, which runs October 2020 through September 2021, is set at $1,952,656.62.

The largest expense is human resources and development, which includes salaries, set at $661,777.22. Insurance is the only other regular expense budgeted over $100,000, at $129,678.04, while other expenses on the budget include equipment and supplies ($90,800), office and administration ($65,279.64), vehicle expense ($50,650), station maintenance and operation ($44,358), audit and accounting ($11,000), and fundraising and miscellaneous expenses ($510).

Debt service expenses includes $104,777.43 in interest and $90,598.29 in capital on the station loan. There is also $22,903 owed on a loan for cardiac monitors.

Capital outlay expenses includes a budget of $650,000 for fire vehicle replacement, $17,665 for hydraulic stretcher replacement, $7,140 for fire radios and $5,520 in pumps.

Expected income in FY2021 is $1,627,744.90. Of this total, $1,012,296.25 is expected in ad valorem tax income, $290,994.65 in billing revenue, $141,960 in sales tax income and $63,200 in donations. Other income is listed at $119,294.

A budget deficit is expected. The budget expects to start with a reserve of $1,537,745.58, and expects for the reserve to be $1,212,833.86, for a deficit of $324,911.72.

Also during the meeting, ESD 2 Chief Ben Oakley reported that confirmed cases of COVID-19 was 81 at the time of the meeting.

“Recovery just takes a really, really long time, despite what everyone would like,” he said. “While we wish it was a one or two day thing, for a lot of people we’re seeing locally, it’s not.”

He said there have been many “incredibly sick people” that the EMS has come into contact with in Blanco County.

“These are remarkably healthy individuals...that are now in the ICU and on ventilators for 10, 12, 14 days,” Oakley said.

There will be a special meeting Thursday at 3 p.m.