Maysville Fire to host fire tax open house

April 19--Maysville Fire and EMS is asking voters to say "yes" to fire taxes on May 8.

During the primary election, the county areas of Maysville will be asked to vote on offering some taxes to the fire department on their ballots.

The question was first on the ballot in November 2013 when a total of 47 people voted on the fire tax, according to records from the N.C. State Board of Elections and Ethics. While 16 people voted yes, 31 -- or 66 percent -- voted no and the tax went no further.

The fire station is asking for the fire tax to help purchase equipment and gear for the volunteer department, said Chief Mike Jordan. He's hoping for a positive response after the department improved their grading.

In short, the ratings are based on a department's ability to provide fire prevention and fire suppression services within their area, according to the N.C. Fire Marshal's website. The scale ranges from 1, the best, to 10.

In 2013 the fire rating for the department was a 9S, Jordan said, but the current rating is now a 5.

What this means for residents is their insurance should have lowered. Jordan explained that someone paying about $1,200 annually when they were a 9S should have seen a 30-to-40 percent drop in premiums, or somewhere in the range of paying $300 to $500 less each year.

The fire department is simply asking residents to give a little of that back to the department, Jordan said.

The fire tax would be $0.03 per $100. For someone with a $100,000 home, Jordan said it would be about $30, and all of the money would go straight to the fire station.

To put it in perspective, Jordan said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends changing turnout gear for firefighters every 10 years. Gear is about $3,000 per person, Maysville has about 25 firefighters, and they try to get two-to-four sets of gear each year. The FDA also recommends replacing trucks every 20 years and Maysville's oldest one, Jordan said, is 18 years old.

It's not the fire department creating the tax amount, though, Jordan said. They're basing this off the surrounding areas -- like Pollocksville and Trenton that approved the fire tax in 2013 -- which have the $0.03 tax, but ultimately it's up to the Jones County Board of Commissioners.

"When we plan our budget, the county commissioners still have to approve it," Jordan said, adding that they also set a limit on how much the fire department would be able to tax.

The commissioners have the power to set a fire tax for the county, Jordan said, but they decided to put it in the community's hands and allow people to vote on whether they'll approve the tax or not.

This vote will only be on the ballots for those in the county that Maysville Fire & EMS serves, Jordan said. The town resident's taxes wouldn't come into play unless the county residents approve it.

Maysville Mayor Edward Waltz, who's been a volunteer with the fire department for more than a decade, said he's in support of the fire tax.

"Once they implement in the county it'll be brought before the board to implement it in the town," Waltz said of the Maysville Board of Commissioners.

An open house is planned to help answer any questions residents may have and explain the fire tax to those living in and around Maysville, which will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 29 at the station, located at 404 Main St. in Maysville.

Waltz encouraged those living inside town limits to come to the open house as well.

"Come and experience what the fire department has to offer, because a lot of people don't know what their money's spent on," Waltz said.

Jordan said he hopes to provide the answers voters need before they hit the polls on May 8.

"Come and ask questions," Jordan said. "Hear it from us instead of on the street."

Reporter Amanda Thames can be reached at 910-219-8467 or Amanda.Thames@JDNews.com

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