Four fire departments are requesting millage rate increases for the 2022-23 fiscal year that begins July 1.
Like many organizations, the departments are seeing increases in operating costs such as fuel, utilities and supplies. There is also the ongoing need to update equipment, protective gear and fire trucks.
During the May 26 Board of County Commissioners meeting, Chair Jim Tate pointed out all the departments should see some revenue increase due to rising property values in their districts. The millage rate is a tax assessed per $100 value of property and is used to support the community fire departments.
Burningtown-Iotla
Burningtown-Iotla Fire and Rescue is requesting an increase from .1056 to .1596, which would add $119,609 to the budget. Under the current rate, the department receives $233,903.
Mike Yacks said the department has not had a substantial increase in six years, other than a pay incentive increase in 2018.
“The county is growing, our communities are growing and have grown and will continue to grow,” he said.
The department’s main station was built in the 1980s and needs several updates such as roof repairs, new siding, window replacements, a new heat pump and plumbing repairs.
“In order for us to remain compliant with ISO, right now our budget is just quite slim, and we feel it is time for an increase in order for us to make the changes that are needed within our facility,” Yacks said.
Fire Chief Mike Shuler said in addition to the facility needs, the department needs to upgrade its equipment and is also requesting funds to pay people to work part-time at the station on the weekends.
“I’m a taxpayer, I live in the community, I don’t take action for a budget increase lightly,” he said adding that it is difficult to operate on a six-year-old budget when the price of everything has doubled and tripled.
Property values in the district increased from $220,683,301 in 2021 to $225,950,165 in 2022.
Cullasaja
Cullasaja Fire and Rescue is requesting an increase from .0557 to .0720, which would add $75,785 to the budget. Under the current rate, the department receives $258,973.
Jack Baird, chair of the fire department board, said there has not been an increase since 2008.
“We are conservative in what we spend, and our tax rate is one of the lowest in the county,” he said.
The increase the department is requesting would be used to support three main areas: construction of a substation, purchasing a 3,000-gallon fire truck, and to add another paid firefighter position and increase the stipend for the paid firefighters to make the department more competitive.
Baird said they have already purchased the property for the substation and most of the money that has come in for the project has been from donations. They’ve raised $75,576 in the last two years. The substation would serve 168 homes in Ellijay, Little Ellijay and Mountain Grove. “It’ll dramatically decrease their current premiums on insurance,” Baird said. “I think that is something everyone in every fire department community wants – they want everyone in their community to have the same exact coverage.”
Chief Bobby Henry said they are looking to make the current paid position a CNA live-in fireman who would live rent-free at the station but be responsible for responding to night-time calls. The second position would be a 12-hour shift/7 days a week.
Property values in Cullasaja increased from $463,310,712 in 2021 to $473,223,636 in 2022.
Franklin
Chief Ben Ormond said Franklin Fire and Rescue’s current tax rate is well below the county average. Franklin’s current fire tax is .0545 and generates $888,504.
The department is requesting a .0155 increase, bringing the tax to .07, which would generate an additional $252,694. The department has a fund balance of $496,279.
Ormond said one cent of the increase would be used to fund three full-time firefighters (one per shift) and the other .55 would be used for the capital purchase of a new fire apparatus. According to the fire chief, the department has seven apparatus, but only two are National Fire Protection Association compliant.
In 2021, Franklin Fire and Rescue responded to 1,836 calls, including providing mutual aid on 27 fires. The chief said of the mutual aid calls, the department was first or second on the scene 67% of the time with town personnel pulling primary fire duty.
“If we were able to get this third person, it wouldn’t just be for Franklin, it would be for all of our neighbors as well. Everyone would benefit from that additional position,” Ormond said.
Property values in Franklin increased from $1,602,222,765 in 2021 to $1,660,335,527 in 2022.
Otto
Otto Fire and Rescue came before the commission to request an increase to build a new fire station. The department had requested an increase in 2020 and 2021 to support construction of the building but did not get the full amount requested partly due to concerns about raising taxes during the pandemic. Last year the department’s millage rate increased from .068 to .1, adding about $151,000 to its annual allotment. The department currently receives $498,116.
This year Otto is requesting a rate of .1192, which would generate an additional $95,752. Capt. Barry Cabe said the money would be combined with the amount received last year, plus other money the department had saved to reach the $280,000 required by the bank to get the project off the ground.
Since the plan was first presented two years ago, the cost of building materials has gone up, and the department has reviewed its design plan to reduce the amount of concrete used and the amount budgeted for landscaping and hardscaping to reduce the overall cost of the building.
It is estimated the 14,635-square-foot-building would cost $4.8 million - $5 million. Cabe said even if they started work on the building now it would be three to four years before it is completed.
The current station is 44 years old, and the department does not have the option of adding on to the current building because they do not own the property; the space is leased from Otto Community Development.
The department owns the property where the proposed new station would sit, on Hwy. 441 below Old Knife Works (the former Otto School) and has already put a well and septic system on the site.
Property values in Otto increased from $497,986,761 in 2021 to $508,125,758 in 2022.
After hearing the requests from the four departments, County Commissioner Ronnie Beale said the community fire departments are still the best deal in the county.
“I’m fearful that a lot of our communities because our volunteer firefighters have done such a great job over the years, that a lot of the communities have sort of taken it for granted. I’m sorry to say that but I think that’s true.”
Budget Meetings
The Board of County Commissioners must approve the increases. There will be a budget work session on Tuesday, June 7 at 5 p.m. and the public hearing for the county budget will be held June 14 at 6 p.m. The County Commissioners meet in the board room on the third floor of the courthouse.
A copy of the budget is available online at maconnc.org or at the Courthouse Annex.