County to vote on fire fees

By Sonny Turner
sonny@athensnews-courier.com

April 09, 2008 08:42 pm

— Legislation that calls for homeowners and businesses in Limestone County to pay monthly fire protection fees has passed both the Alabama House and Senate and will now go before county voters on June 3.
State Sen. Tom Butler, D-Madison, said Wednesday the measure awaits only the signature of Gov. Bob Riley to be placed on the ballot. Residents in the City of Athens will be excluded from voting.
If approved by voters, a $2.50 monthly fire protection service fee would be levied on each county dwelling and $5 per month on each business. Those fees would be collected annually.
Butler and State Rep. Henry White, D-Athens, introduced the legislation for vote after they were approached by officials with the Limestone County volunteer fire departments who say they need funds to operate.
“Obviously, they need more money,” said Butler. “A lot of the fire departments in the county are now depending on chicken stews and things like that to operate. This would give them a stable force of money.”
Butler had no estimate of how much money the new fees would bring in, although he said it would be thousands of dollars to each volunteer fire department.
“There is a big need for the volunteer fire departments in Limestone County because usually they are the first to respond to emergencies,” he said.
“It’s like neighbors serving neighbors. But it has come to the point where these departments need money to purchase equipment and supplies. The firefighters themselves serve without pay. Every nickel they receive is well spent,” Butler added.
Butler said the fees should not be construed as a tax on property. The fees shall be levied for the purpose of funding fire protection services to dwellings and businesses.
Any person who is 65 or older having a net annual taxable income of $7,500 or less shall be exempt from paying the fee.
The Limestone County Commission will be responsible for dividing funds equally among eligible volunteer fire departments.