Commissioners approve small tax increases to shore up three volunteer fire districts

McDowell County commissioners on May 18 approved small property tax rate increases for three fire service districts to help pay for paid staff, equipment and station upgrades.

Assistant Chief Rodney Roland told the board Nebo Volunteer Fire Department needs an additional one-cent per $100 valuation to hire a daytime administrative/shift position, keep the station staffed during weekday hours and complete ISO paperwork; he said Nebo has 28 volunteers, two paid staff and two part-timers and estimated the homeowner impact at roughly $1.50/year on a $150,000 house. After questions about a 20-year lease and call volumes, a commissioner moved to approve Nebo’s request; the motion passed by voice vote.

PG Fire Department Chief Neil Smar described six years of investments made after prior tax increases: a 7,500-square-foot facility addition, specialty rescue accreditations, new vehicles and grants including FEMA/AFG awards and an exhaust mitigation system. Smar said paid staffing improved response times and helped lower ISO ratings (from a 5 toward a 4), and asked for a two-cent increase to expand paid staff, add a substation to cover areas beyond a five-mile district and acquire brush and ladder apparatus. The board approved the request (raising the rate to 13 cents per $100 valuation) by voice vote.

A joint request affecting Woodland (main district) and a split district shared with Parkway Fire & Rescue sought to raise the split-district rate from 8 to 11 cents so the split would match proceeds-sharing set earlier for the main district. Commissioners moved and approved a concurrence resolution for the Woodland/Parkway arrangement by voice vote.

The board’s approvals were voice votes; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript. Commissioners emphasized the operational pressures that paid staff relieve for volunteer departments and noted insurance and service-area benefits from improved ISO ratings.

What’s next: county staff will implement the rate changes for the affected districts and the departments will proceed with the staffing and equipment plans described to the board.