Commission to Hold Called Meeting to Establish Rural Fire Department

The Carroll County Commission meets Monday, December 9 to determine the fate of the Resolution 12-01-2024 that establishes a county-wide fire department. The current format used by the county is a hybrid format that is not conducive to the longevity of the multiple districts established.

The resolution states the purpose of the fire department is to provide “protection services in the unincorporated areas of Carroll County as well as the County units stationed in incorporated municipalities within Carroll County.”

The Carroll County Fire Department will be funded through revenue generated by situs-based taxes collected in unincorporated areas of the county, revenues from other sources which have already been shared with municipalities or donations or charitable contributions to fund the activities of the county fire department. The new formation will not use funds contributed to the county by taxes generated in the incorporated areas of Carroll County.

Also considered is Resolution 12-02-2024 to levy an occupancy tax in Carroll County. This will authorize a maximum rate of occupancy tax established of 4% within Carroll County in both the unincorporated and incorporated jurisdictions, which shall be in addition to any existing occupancy tax in an incorporated jurisdiction.

Lastly, the Commission will discuss Resolution 12-03-2024 to amend the FY 2024-25 Budget. Included are the following items: Recycling/Solid Waste - $20,000 — Solid Waste is purchasing three new recycling trucks at $62,623 utilizing previously allocated ARPA funds for $168,987 with the amendment/transfer of $20,000 covering the remainder of the cost. Rural Fire - $12,300 — these are funds received from surplus scrap equipment sale, to be used to purchase small items on the Fire Department’s immediate needs list; Rural Fire - $161,802 (from fund balance to motor vehicles) — this includes funds from insurance recovery funds from the Hico fire station $61,339.38 and Hico pumper truck $100,462.50 which will, in turn, be used to purchase the following: two brush truck Chassis estimated at $40,000, one Air Van/Truck – estimated at$120,000. Rural Fire - $50,250 (from fund balance to salary/benefits) — the funds are for salary, benefits, and deductions for a new position of the Carroll County Fire Chief with an estimated start date of January 1, 2025.

The Carroll County Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the conference room of the Carroll County Government Complex on High Street in Huntingdon.