Increasing the property taxes that go to the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department would require voter approval, according to an attorney general opinion.
County Board Attorney Joe Shepard sought the opinion after firefighters asked supervisors in July for an increase of their tax rate from one mill to two mills.
No increase was included in the budget, and at last Thursday’s public hearing for the 2017-18 fiscal year Don Moree of the Fire Department was on hand to ask about it.
“As you recall, several weeks ago, Dewayne Stuckey of the Tri-Community Fire Protection District and Cole Robbins, chief of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, presented a proposal to the Marion County Board of Supervisors wherein it was requested that the current one-mill levy for fire protection be increased to two mills on all taxable property within the boundaries of the Tri-Community Fire Protection District,” Shepard said. “Not feeling entirely comfortable that the Board of Supervisors has the statutory authority to raise the tax levy without adopting a resolution declaring its intent and holding an election on the tax levy, I request an official opinion from Attorney General Hood. Hood opines that the tax levy may not be raised from one mill to two mills without first making a determination that there is, in fact, a need for additional revenue, adopting a resolution declaring the intent to levy and additional tax, and holding an election on the question of raising the tax levy from one mill to two mills.”
Shepard produced a copy of the two-page opinion, which cited the statutes requiring specific actions on the tax levy.
District 2 Supervisor Terry Broome said that if the Fire Department desired to raise the extra mill, the effort would need to commence well in advance of the 2019 tax levy date.
“There will need to be a referendum of the people in the fire district,” he said.
In July, Tri-Community officials also discussed placing an additional tax levy on top of the one-mill increase on the ballot to help the department add a sixth fire station and keep aging equipment updated.
Discussions will likely continue on the topic at future meetings. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Marion County Board of Supervisors Sept. 18 at the Board offices on Courthouse Square.
Pictured Above: Supervisor Terry Broome, left, speaks with Don Moree of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department. | Photo by Mark Rogers
