There is an important election coming up, and no, not the one that has everyone feeling so cynical and divided amongst ourselves. This is a local, subdued topic; though not saying it is without major significance. I am writing about the Fire Levy that will be on the ballot for our next local election.
I, like most Fayette County citizens, feel that I generally have a pulse on the community, candidates and levies. But, I have noticed that on Facebook and other media, the fire levy is getting some heavy buzz. Fire departments around the county are having Open Houses and weekly meetings to help educate us on what the levy means for our first responders. Even with that, I was still confused about how there could be any controversy on something that seems very straightforward. I am happy to pay some of my tax money to the fire department. If my house ever catches fire, I want my fire fighters to have the best equipment to save my family; to save my home. That simple. But is it?
Well, like all things in politics, it is not. And the deeper I investigated, the more I unwound a very complicated history our county has with our county commission and the fire department. It seemed only appropriate to share this knowledge so others can vote from an informed mind. Let’s start with the history of the fire levy. Prior to the levy there was a “fire fee” that all citizens in the county COULD pay. Note here…not MUST pay, they COULD pay. If your family paid the fire fee, the fire department would show up for an emergency fire call. If you did not pay the “fire fee” you put out the fire with help from your neighbors. Thirty-four years later, our county continues to feel it wise to make a simple tax on their homeowners. This affords for all citizens to have this life saving option. Today, we are all benefiting from this tax, not only to support us when our home catches fire, but also for fire prevention lessons for all Fayette County students.
As we all know, our fire fighting force is voluntary. Yes, our larger firehouses (Oak Hill and Fayetteville) get minimal financial compensation per call, where the twelve smaller stations receive no pay. Minimal being $25 or less per call. That is pre-taxed, per call. Most calls take multiple hours. So, yes, these men and women are putting their lives on the line for (what I would consider) no money. As far as the levy goes, previous to this year, levy monies were not allowed to be spent for payment of firefighters. This has been the responsibility of the individual towns.
The levy helps to provide our firefighters with the safest and most up to standard equipment and vehicles. The terrain in our county is vast and diverse. We have swift water rescue teams for the river, we have rope rescues for our climbers, we have miles of wilderness that can only be transversed by a four-wheeler and we have miles of roadways.
In addition, we have fire fighters who need gear to survive not only fires, but also below freezing water temperatures. We also have 16 firehouses in Fayette County, which as you can guess is 16 power bills, water bills, etc. There is also training/certifications for all of these firefighters including the ones you may already expect: firefighter 1 and 2 and the other very familiar certifications. However, there is also pump testing, Ariel testing, SCBA testing, etc.
Now here is where it gets interesting. There is an ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating from 1 – 10. For this particular rating, lower is better. Fire Departments earn this score as a way of showing how well they respond to their communities’ needs. This is based on trainings, upkeep of vehicles and response times. The lower the score, the less your homeowner’s insurance will be. This is because if your home were to catch on fire, there is data to prove your local fire department will be there and well trained to put that fire out. This means passing the levy allows for our firefighters to continue to be trained and have the most up to date equipment…which results in your homeowner’s insurance being less expensive.
So, let’s talk money. What are we really looking at? Very simply, we already pay the fire levy. And there will not be an increase in taxes to pay it from this vote. We have paid this levy for 33 years with NO TAX INCREASE. It is based on the assessed value of your home (I.e. 4 cents, 7 cents or 15 cents per every $100 assessed value of your home depending on which bracket you fit under). At this point, I felt the need to ask….so what happens if the levy doesn’t pass? The short answer is, they will find the money elsewhere, most likely in a “fire fee” that I discussed earlier. But that is a flat fee, so every home may pay the same amount, where now we pay based on a home’s assessed value. This is not a guarantee however. When we talk about government bodies (i.e. fire department) and money things always seem to get a little complicated.
Right now, the state pays every fire house $60,000 per year. A typical annual budget is around $110,000. So, the levy closes that gap. To me, as I was learning all of this, it seemed simple enough. Pay the levy. Why not? Where is the other side of this conversation? It seems like this is a nonissue. I want my home protected. I want my fire fighters protected. Why all the hubbub?
It’s from our County Commission and the President of our County Commission Tom Louisos. Mr. Louisos has been quoted as saying, “Fire Levy funds were paid without accountability and unlawful practices.” Okay, so I decided to go on down this rabbit hole. Where did my money go? Mr. Louisos has been vocal about fire departments not sharing their budgets. And he isn’t wrong, they have not shared them with the County Commission prior to this year. However, for good reason.
Prior to this year, the county had a position of “Fire Coordinator”. This person’s position was to develop, maintain and be the “checks and balances” for our fire departments. Every firehouse would turn in monthly budgets to the Fire Coordinator and there would be a process to ensure the money would be spent responsibly. Prior to this year, every house had been audited twice a year and with “no incidents or concerns”.
However, this year that position was cut by Mr. Louisios and the County Commission, so the fire houses, for the first-time, reported budgets back to the county commission and Mr. Louisos. During the last county commission meeting, Mr. Louisos was given the 2022 – 2023 budget and he stated “looks good” and it was approved. Long story short, there has never been any proof of levy funds being without accountability or unlawful. That statement was simply false.
Now, this brings us up to date on the history of the levy. And with all of that said, it seems clear the levy is good for the county. So, why are our firefighters feeling the pressure this year? The levy always passes.
This is a very interesting year. This is the first year for the levy to be on the ballot with candidates. Typically, the levy is a special election. We come out to vote for it and it is the ONLY thing on the ballot. For me, I would really have to be against a levy to come out and vote against it. This means that every time it has been up for election, it passes with overwhelming support. However, this year, many of us will be voting for other offices with the levy on the same ballot. Citizens may have misinformation such as our taxes will be going up, or feel it is a political issue and vote against it.
For me, the more alarming issue is it does not pass with a 51/49 vote. From my understanding, it MUST pass with something close to 70/30 approval. This was the “light bulb over my head” moment for me. We are all feeling the grind of groceries and gas prices. We are all struggling financially right now. I could see someone say, “no more taxes, I just can’t.” If enough people came to ballots with the lack of information that I had, I could see it not passing. But, not passing could mean that in the long run, many of us who are already struggling would be paying more for our “fire fee”.
Hopefully, with this information, you can arrive at the ballot with more information. With all of that said, I think we all can say “thank you” to all of our firefighters. We know you are out there protecting us every day. We see you passing out stuffed animals to our kids when they are scared. We see you delivering Christmas Gifts and supporting our schools. We see you in our worst moments and you are the hope that we need. We see you tired, sleepy, and going out for another call. You are appreciated.