The Limestone County referendum is about whether a fire protection service fee should be levied to fund volunteer fire protection services in Limestone County. The fee would be $2.50 / month on each dwelling, and $5 / month on each business, and would be collected annually.

The June proposal reads as follows:
"Do you favor the local law authorizing the levy of a fire protection service fee of two dollars fifty cents ($2.50) monthly on each dwelling and five dollars ($5) monthly on each business to be collected annually, which shall be used to fund volunteer fire protection services in Limestone County? (Act No. 2008-123)"


The November proposal reads as follows:
"Do you favor the local law authorizing the levy outside of the corporate limits of any municipality having a municipal fire departments of a fire protection service fee of two dollars fifty cents ($2.50) monthly on each dwelling and five dollars ($5) monthly on each business to be collected annually, which shall be used to fund volunteer fire protection services in Limestone County? (Act No. 2008-414)"
(Emphasis added to show the difference between the two proposals.)

A recent letter to the editor which was printed in the Athens News-Courier, expresses ALG's opinion of any fire protection tax.


NO to fire tax, by M.G.

Less than four years later, county residents are once again being targeted for a so-called "fire protection fee." It appears volunteer fire departments (VFDs) remain dissatisfied with their traditional support of solicited donations and fund-raisers. Claiming strained resources due to community growth, they ignore the growing donation potential with each new household. Proponents are employing the usual deceptive scare-tactics, calling it "fire protection" (subliminally creating a fear of no protection if passage fails). They claim it is a "fee", not a tax; but a governmentally mandated fee is a tax. If passed, your donation becomes mandatory. Remember, taxes are permanent and they always go up. How long before this one is raised? Make no mistake, those who cannot keep their hands out of your pocket will find an excuse and a way to raise it. Call it what it is--a fire tax.

VFDs provide a vital service to rural areas, but as volunteer organizations they should be supported voluntarily, not government (tax-payer) subsidized. Allocation of tax dollars to any volunteer entity sets a precedent we cannot afford when every other "noble-minded" volunteer group suddenly decides they, too, are entitled to tax-payer support.

If passed, this fire tax will likely be itemized on your property tax bill. County residents would do well to remember that since 2005, their property tax has been increasing every year now because of outrageously inflated annual reappraisals. How incredibly stupid if homeowners impose yet another property tax increase upon themselves by passing a fire TAX.

With the cost-of-living (fuel, food, utilities, taxes, etc.) going through the roof, it takes unbelievable , shameless gall to even propose a new tax while the average family's economic suffering worsens by the day. Yet, revenue-greedy politicians and bureaucrats consider the struggling tax-payer an inexhaustible ATM to fund every special interest that wants to "feed at the government trough" (in this instance, the VFDs).

To the VFDs, if this referendum passes, don't even think about soliciting me for donations anymore. But then, you won't have to, now that you're leeching off the tax-payer. Furthermore, you will have destroyed what community good-will remains for VFDs since your last attempt in 2004 to pick-pocket county residents.

M.G.

Permission to reprint this letter to the editor may be obtained from the author by contacting ALG.