Raleigh County Fire Levy
Posted by Richard Garten
The members of the Raleigh County Firefighter's Association have created this page to inform you about the Fire Levy that will be up for vote in May 2012.
On May 8, 2012 we are asking for your vote to help the paid and volunteer firefighters of Raleigh County achieve our goal in passing the Fire Levy. Not only will all 14 fire departments and the emergency operations center benefit from the levy, ALL Raleigh County residents will benefit from it also.
The annual Fire Levy fee will be added into your real estate tax and will eliminate any fire fee's that you send in to your area volunteer departments. The estimated cost will be on average $52.00 per year. By obtaining this funds, we will collect $4 million dollars. The first $2 million will be divided up equally between the 14 fire departments and 911 center. From the first $2 million each department will receive $133,000.00
The second half of the funds will be distributed based on tax value of each department's coverage area. All funds will be handled by a Fire Coordinator that will be hired by the County Commission. All bills will be sent to the Fire Coordinator to be paid instead of giving the funds directly to each department.
The expenditures allowed from these funds include: fire station construction, buildings and grounds, maintenance of buildings and grounds, utilities, telephones, television/internet service, insurance of all types, vehicle and maintenance expenses of all types, office equipment (copiers, computer systems, fax machines and supplies), accounting expenses, training expenses (dues, mileage, meals and lodging), and the construction and maintenance of training areas, purchase of firefighting equipment (gear, SCBA units purchase and maintenance) repair of communication equipment to help the department's strive for NFPA standards.
Expenditures which CANNOT be made from these funds include: salaries, emergency warning lights or sirens for the use by individual firefighters, dress or parade uniforms, badges, or patches for individuals and kitchen appliances.
Being able to maintain the stations, fire trucks, gear, etc., will lower each station's ISO rating. Once the ISO rating lowers, so will your homeowner's insurance. Many department's are struggling to keep their doors open due to outrageous utilities, worker's compensation rates, and insurance rates. Most department's are using equipment that no longer meets the national standards and is no longer considered safe.
If the Fire Levy does not pass, many department's will be forced to shut their doors. This will result in Homeowner's Insurance Premiums skyrocketing. If an emergency arises after a department is shut down, a neighboring department will have to respond doubling their response time.
We need as much support as possible to keep our men and women safe as they risk their lives to protect you, your family, and your personal belongings. Please help support your Raleigh County Firefighters by voting YES in May 2012 for the Fire Levy.
Any questions or concerns can be posted on the Raleigh County Fire Levy 2012's Facebook wall or submitted in an email to RaleighCoFireAssoc@gmail.com