Clerk said fuel no problem for Redfield Fire Department’s truck

Redfield residents should not worry about whether fire trucks will be able to respond to their calls.

That was the message Redfield City Clerk Wilma Graham wants to spread after two Redfield residents told county commissioners Tuesday the city is not releasing funds to the fire department.

Graham said Friday the fire department chief has access to a credit card, which can be used to purchase fuel.

“We never let those trucks get below a half a tank of gas,” she said.

She said funds to operate the fire department comes from the township to the city and she in turn writes checks to the fire department fund through the city budget.

She said the fire department has never operated under a board, but has always been a part of the city.

“The fire department belongs to the city and has for over 50 years,” Graham said.

Beth Guss said five people in the Marmaton Township formed the board a few months ago. She said they have a tax identification number and the board has obtained its nonprofit status.

John Speer is the chairman and Guss is the secretary.

Speer and Guss said Tuesday the city books are kept at the clerk’s residence and when they asked to see the financials, they were shown a spreadsheet.

Graham, who has been the city clerk for 20 years, said there isn’t enough business to justify keeping a city hall open eight hours a day. She said the books are locked in a safe at the community building and the checkbook is locked away at her house and have been for a number of years.

She also said she would have made copies of the documents, but the individuals did not want to spend 50 cents per copy – which is the amount she said the county charges for documents.