County proposes colocation of county firefighters with Mount Pleasant; several fire districts seek tax increases

County fire services staff proposed an operational change that would station county‑employed firefighters at Mount Pleasant Fire Department under an interlocal agreement. The county team said colocating four county‑employed firefighters at Mount Pleasant would improve response reliability for eastern and northern Cabarrus County, restore ISO credit for adjacent districts (potentially lowering some residents’ insurance rates), reduce duplication of apparatus purchases and defer capital costs (SCBA and replacement vehicles).

Jacob Thompson and staff explained the model would keep the county employees on the county payroll with county oversight while placing them physically in Mount Pleasant stations. Mount Pleasant officials said the town board supports a pilot or short‑term agreement to evaluate outcomes and that they could house county staff with operational adjustments. Commissioners asked staff to consult other fire chiefs, work through an interlocal agreement, and consider a pilot before committing capital budget changes.

Separately, several rural and municipal fire departments requested district tax increases to cover capital and staffing shortfalls. Key requests included:

- Midland: requested a 1¢ increase (10→11¢) to replace aging engines, update SCBA, and offset an earlier loss of tax base that reduced revenue; Midland said the change equates to roughly $3 per month for a median house and stressed mutual‑aid responsibilities across county lines.

- Mount Pleasant: asked for up to a 2¢ increase (municipal and rural districts) to fund Station 2 planning, a new engine and a $1/hour pay increase to align part‑time pay with the market; the town board said it will offset the district increase with a matching town rate increase.

- Flow Store: requested +2¢ to sustain a daytime third position that improves on‑shift safety and to cover rising maintenance bills for older apparatus.

- Odell: requested a move to 8¢ (from a revenue‑neutral 5.9¢ after revaluation) to cover SCBA replacement, generator and building needs and to support daily operations amid higher call volumes.

Commissioners discussed fairness across districts, ISO impacts, and the timing of any tax‑rate decisions; they asked staff to convene county fire chiefs and return with a recommended timeline and legal framework to permit a thorough review and potential pilot arrangement.