The Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad (HVRS) is asking for an increase in the fire and rescue tax that goes to them from property owners in their area. The squad has requested an increase from 1.1 cents per assessed $100 to 1.5 cents beginning with the next fiscal year in July.
President Natalie Himes, Assistant Chief Barbara Wible and Treasurer Tim Lenahan appeared before the county commissioners on Tuesday to explain why they need the increase. The county commissioners would have to approve it along with the rest of the county budget by June 1 to become effective on July 1 of this year.
“We are really experiencing a facility deterioration,” Himes said of the building that was constructed in 1982, with an addition in 2002. She said the addition was poorly constructed and should be demolished. In addition, the roof on the original building needs to be repaired or replaced and there is a cracked wall..
Wible says the department has experienced a 12-percent increase in calls over the last six years. She said the department has four vehicles, with the oldest being 22 years (except for the cabin) and the others being 14 years, eight years and three years old. “We have three of our four ambulances that need to be replaced. We are in a critical stage,” said Himes.
The department has a surplus now that will dissolve by 2015. By 2021 the deficit will be more than $750,000 with no tax increase, according to Lenahan. With the tax increase there would be a slight deficit of $15,000. “We can survive a $15,000 deficit,” he said. “It would be very difficult to survive $750,000 deficit.”
The department has a plan to replace the vehicles every two years, beginning this year. They do not yet have a plan on what to do with the facility. Options include renovating, building a new building on the existing site or purchasing land somewhere else and rebuilding. Because of the cost of acquiring land, Wible said, “We really hope we can stay where we are.”
One key to the plans is whether the existing 1.59 acre property can handle the septic system for a new building. A health department percolation (perc) test is scheduled for next month.
Several commissioners felt they should wait to see what the outcome of the perc test is before deciding to proceed with a public hearing on the proposal. Commissioner Todd Morgan (R: 4th) told the rescue squad representatives that the county had some difficult budget issues, noting that there was a surplus in the rescue squad’s budget for at least a couple of years. But Lenahan pointed out that even waiting a year to impose the tax increase would increase the deficit facing the department later on.
Commissioner Cynthia Jones chided the volunteers for waiting until the day of the meeting to provide the commissioners with the details of the tax increase request. She said they had known it for at least several months.
Commissioner Daniel Morris (R: 2nd) said he had toured the facility and noted the problems with it. “This
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