One of the reasons I founded Livingston GAP was because I believe government works best when citizens have access to the complete story, not just the parts that fit someone's narrative. That's exactly what's happening with the Fire Department's capital requests. Over the last several days, I've watched people share screenshots from Appendix A of the budget and add up the dollar amounts as if that tells us everything we need to know. It doesn't. Those screenshots don't explain

The real story isn't the dispute. It's how we respond to hard questions. After reading today's article in the Livingston Enterprise, I kept coming back to the same question. Why are we still talking about this like it's a dispute between the City Manager and the Fire Chief? I don't think that's what this is anymore. If it were, it probably would have blown over by now. One person would leave, another person would get hired, and life would move on. But that's not what's happen

The City Manager recently told the Livingston Enterprise there are "no significant changes" coming to Livingston Fire & Rescue. The Commission echoed that message, assuring the public the department remains well funded, well equipped, and that no significant operational changes are expected. Honestly... what would you call the last month? The Fire Chief was placed on administrative leave over the length of a PowerPoint presentation. The City hired an outside investigator afte

One of the most revealing moments from Tuesday night's meeting had nothing to do with the budget itself. It was a simple explanation from City Manager Grant Gager about why dispatch may need another employee. It was a perfectly reasonable explanation. The problem is that it's completely different from the explanation taxpayers were given when Livingston Fire Rescue raised the very same concerns. During the discussion of the dispatch budget, Gager explained that dispatchers ha

And Why Our Commissioners Should Know the Difference Before Voting on the Budget One of the comments that caught my attention during Tuesday night's budget meeting came from Commissioner Cindy Daniels. She said she was tired of people asking her about the Fire Department's capital replacement plan and pointed everyone to Appendix A of the budget. She explained that those pages were the Fire Department's five-year capital improvement plan because, as she put it, "each page is

Update (July 21, 2026) At the July 21, 2026 City Commission meeting, I asked City Manager Grant Gager what happened to the Michael J. Kardoes Excellence in Community Service Award. His response confirmed what the public record suggested. According to Gager, after arriving in 2023, the City conducted an internal solicitation for nominations. He said there was only one nominee and that there was not enough enthusiasm to continue the program. Gager then acknowledged what happene

Livingston is having a public conversation about the future of its fire department. Here's what the public record shows. A department that was asking for help On May 19, 2026, Livingston Fire Chief Josh Chabalowski and Battalion Chief Jonathan Gilbert presented what they described as the "State of Livingston Fire & Rescue" during a City Commission meeting. The presentation covered topics including: Staffing shortages Aging fire apparatus Station limitations Training needs EMS

For three consecutive years, Livingston’s independent auditors raised concerns about the City’s Impact Fees Fund. Each time, the City gave essentially the same explanation: the unusually large balance was being accumulated for a future railroad crossing project. Then the budget projected that the Transportation Impact Fee balance would be spent down to zero. A few months later, the City Manager told the Commission that more than $1 million was still appropriated in that same