Making Case For Fire Levy
Bellaire voters are, to put it gently, protective of their pocketbooks. It took the school district serving the community nine tries before an emergency tax levy was approved last year.
So the advice given to Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department members about a levy they hope to put before voters was excellent.
Village council members heard from fire department member Ray Penyak last week, regarding a proposed levy. Penyak said firefighters would like to see a 4.5-mill levy on the November ballot. It would raise about $154,000 a year, he noted.
Penyak explained the department needs to replace some old equipment, including air tanks and masks on which firefighters rely when they enter burning buildings. In addition, the unit needs a mini-pumper truck and a ladder truck, Penyak added.
Though fire department members believe both trucks are needed, they could be dropped from the levy proposal to reduce the amount of new taxes, Penyak said.
One challenge in putting a levy on the ballot is cost, council members said. The expense could be as high as $5,000.
That may not sound like much. But in Bellaire, where village officials struggle constantly to keep budgets in balance, it is a concern.
So is the question of whether voters would approve a fire department levy.
Councilwoman Nikki Liberatore said many in the community question whether the volunteer unit needs a levy. Councilman Jerry Fisher said the department should hold a public meeting to explain why it needs the money.
Indeed it should. Several meetings would be a good idea, in fact. Bellaire voters have earned the reputation of being hard to persuade that they should increase their property taxes.
On the other hand, most thoughtful people understand that volunteer firefighters not infrequently risk their safety, even their lives, to save others and their property. If they can make the case they need new equipment, voters are likely to say yes.
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