The deadline for Riverside to submit a budget for next fiscal year is approaching. A committee consisting of members of the Riverside City Council, fire department, and townships served by the department will meet later this week.

Using a formula that factors in real estate value, population and number of calls, they’ll determine how much Riverside and the townships will pay the department for fire protection.

March 16th is the deadline for cities to submit their budgets. City Administrator Rusty Rogerson says if a rate isn’t set by then, they can use what they’ve paid for fire protection in past years, then make a budget amendment during the next fiscal year if necessary, but they’d like to avoid that.