Okla. Chiefs Band Together in Support of Tax Increase

Feb. 09--PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma -- Several fire chiefs from across Garvin County gathered earlier this week to discuss their plans on how to get the facts out to the public for a tax proposal to fund each fire department in the county.

Going before voters during a March 6 election is a quarter cent county sales tax measure that if passed will be split equally among all 12 fire departments in the county.

Chiefs agreed they will focus on a push over the next four weeks to better inform the public about the tax with such things as town hall meetings and even an advertising campaign.

One thing all the chiefs want to be clear on is 96 percent of the tax will be used to help each fire department in the county.

"This money will be earmarked for the maintenance and operation of the fire departments in this county," said Elmore City Fire Chief Eddie Stewart. "That includes equipment."

If passed by voters the remaining 4 percent of the tax would help with county emergency management funding.

Estimates have the proposed quarter cent tax generating around $750,000 a year, which measures out to about $60,000 annually in additional funding for each of the dozen departments. If approved the tax would remain in place on a permanent basis.

Those same chiefs also want the public to understand this tax doesn't have a hefty cost to them as taxpayers, and it could wind up being a life safer for both the departments and public.

"Most people are concerned about what it's going to cost them," said Bud Ramming, Garvin County's emergency management director, about the tax.

"People who oppose this say this will cost them a lot," he said. "We need to convince them that it's not. We've got to show them the simple math; that it's not going to cost them that much."

According to the chiefs, an easy way to understand the impact of the tax is it will cost taxpayers an extra 25 cents for each $100 worth of purchases made in Garvin County.

Pernell's fire chief Brent Balentine and others stress the smaller fire departments have little or no operating budget right now and must depend almost entirely on fundraisers.

That also means many firefighters in the county are forced to work with outdated equipment and trucks.

"We've been operating like this for years, but grants are getting less and less each year," Balentine said. "That could go down to nothing and who knows what could happen to us then."

In the scenario of no new revenue sources becoming available, Stewart said the consequences could be dramatic for some of the departments.

"There's a strong possibility we could lose one, two, three departments in the county," Stewart said, referring to the possibility of the tax measure being voted down.

The first town hall meeting set up by the fire chiefs is expected to be in Paoli at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13 at the city hall building there.

The chiefs said those opposing the tax proposal are invited to attend any of the meetings to debate the issue.

"If they drop by and want to debate, well let them debate," Stewart said. "We got the facts."

Copyright 2012 - Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, Okla.