Commission set to return to fire plan discussions

A conversation started by two commissioners during a work session earlier this summer is coming back around for the rest of the board, set to be held during their recent work session earlier in the week.

Previously, commissioners learned that if the Polk County Fire Department wanted to op- erate under a mix of paid and volunteer firefighters to ensure round the clock coverage, taxpayers will have to ante up more when their annual bills come due.

It involves the establishment of a Special Service District within the county that could charge a specific millage rate to residents in unincorporated areas - costing around $15 a month on average - of what amounts to 3.77 mills in separate taxes just for the fire department. The district would also include the City of Aragon, which no longer has its own fire department and relies off of help from the county and the Rockmart Fire Department for service.

“We considered a fee, but we know the legislature is contem- plating again next year to enact rules that you can’t attach fees to a tax bill,” County Manager Matt Denton said during a June work session on the issue. “Even if they do, our Tax Commissioner (Kathy Cole) has advised me that she will not put a fee on our tax bills.”

Without support for fees on tax bills, Denton said the Special Service District was likely the only solution for funding the fire department heading forward.

“If we did this, it would have to be the entire portion of Polk County,” he said.

Denton projected figures at different levels of funding based on millage rates set for the Special Service District at

3.77, 3.78, 3.79 and 3.8 mills per year, and would keep it at that rate for 10 years.

“That combined with the grant money for the first two years and part i ally t he t hird year enough to build the six stations and man them around the clock with one person for the 10 years,” he said. “That would allow us to get equipment on site, and then rely on volunteer help to fight the fires.”

The hopes is the funds the Special Service Dis- trict collections provide will supplement the SAFER grant the county has sought for establishing a paid fire department. The county would have to cover 25 percent matching on the grant the first two years as part of the stipulations of using SAFER money if the application is approved, and a 75 percent match the third year.

Fire Chief Randy Lacey emphasized that more than half of the new hires - 55 in total - would actually be part time hires that are counted as full time for the purposes of the grant.

Some of those hires would come from the vol- unteers already helping the county out, Lacey said.

It includes three battalion chiefs and captains as well to form the administrative heart of the department and ensure that there’s a commander on the scene that isn’t Lacey fighting fires.

The fire plan would also shrink the county’s fire stations from nine to seven, with six being relocated and one station being remodeled.

Check back in the Aug. 9 edition for more on the fire plan, or visit Polkstandardjournal.com on Tuesday for more coverage on the issue.