2022 Storm Water Utility & Fire Service Fee
Memo dated and mailed October 20, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
The Council of the Town of Greenville is seeking an answer from the residents on a ballot question in November regarding its fire services. The Council has been discussing new, alternative ways to help fund the combination career and volunteer Fire Department. The Fire Department is the only department where a ballot question is required by law to be a direct ask to the residents if they wish to go from a career fire service to a full volunteer fire service. This year’s ballot question is not a reflection on the department or personnel, but a referendum of the financial impact to the Town and residents. The council is satisfied with the current level of service being provided by the department, but wishes to know if they still have the full support of the constituency before looking at alternative funding methods and staffing.
The Council hopes to learn from the ballot question what level of service the Town desires to continue to pay for. The answer will help the Council with future planning and what alternative method(s) they will use to fund the department. The Council has discussed moving to a “Fee-Based” option rather than its reliance on real estate property taxes. This ballot question can help solidify an answer on how to better financially manage its services.
One option is the idea of an annual Fire Service Fee as an alternative method to fund our combination Fire Department. With the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters, the Council sees a combination department as the most viable option moving forward. The annual Fire Service Fee is the same as the annual Storm Water Utility Fee in that everyone in the Town will be required to pay the fee for the service including those entities that are not required to pay Real Estate Property Taxes. By shifting away from a reliance on property taxes to fund fire services, the Town can look at reducing these taxes. This fee will be a living fee that will be reviewed, and potentially adjusted, each year to meet the financial needs of the department.
To date, the Fire Service Fee would meet the minimum need to fund the personnel costs of the department. The anticipated fee to maintain current staffing would equate to $210 per ERU annually. Like the Stormwater Utility, all residential properties would be required to pay for one ERU value, therefore, costing $210. All non-residential properties will pay a multiplier according to the amount of ERU’s per developed parcel on an annual basis.
As the Council moves towards more fair and equitable means to raise revenue to fund services, the Fire Service Fee will be at the forefront of the discussion. This fee will allow the Council to consider and plan for potential correlating decreases in real-estate property taxes, over time, making the Town more desirable to live in, re-develop, and re-imagine. Grants, leadership, planning, and vision will set a path to success for the Town. Every decision has an impact and the impact of transitioning to a fee-based system has the potential to improve the course of a Town in need of change.
Thank you.
Town Council