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BEECH CREEK -- The Beech Creek-Blanchard (BC-B) Fire Company recently hosted a public meeting to discuss funding and provide information about what is commonly referred to as a fire tax.
The meeting was held in the fire company's social hall on Wednesday to talk about the purpose of a fire tax, which municipalities can add to local property tax bills that is then given directly to the fire company.
Those funds are used by the fire companies to upgrade and maintain their fire fighting apparatus so that the volunteer responders can adequately provide the residents and business owners with fire protection and emergency medical services.
BC-B Fire Company, also referred to as Clinton County Station 9, provides primary coverage to Beech Creek Borough, as well as the townships of Beech Creek and Liberty, and also the community of Orviston which is located in Curtin Township.
BC-B Fire Company also provides basic life support ambulance services to Howard Borough and the areas of Curtin, Howard and Marion townships.
In attendance at the meeting were BC-B Fire Company members, local residents, Attorney Rod Beard, supervisors from all of the townships and Beech Creek Borough representatives including Council President Billy Kessinger.
The meeting mirrored a prior one held in October, where Fire Company President Daryl Geyer and Fire Chief Jim Watson provided information to support the fire company's request of adding a 1 mil increase to the tax bills of property owners.
The townships are governed by the regulations of a Second Class Township Code, wherein Section 1553 of that code states "(a) that the township shall be responsible for ensuring that fire and emergency medical services are provided within the township by the means and to the extent determined by the township, including appropriate funding and administrative costs for these services, and (b) the township shall consult with fire and emergency medical service providers to discuss the emergency services needs of the township."
A similar code would apply to boroughs.
Geyer and Watson began the meeting by giving an overview of BC-B's mission statement, fleet of apparatus, fire company and ambulance responses to incidents and manpower training hours expected of their volunteers. Watson, who grew up in Milesburg and has lived with his family in Beech Creek since 1999, has been the BC-B fire chief since 2012.
Beech Creek-Blanchard Fire Company's primary response area encompasses approximately 120 square miles. The fire company currently has about 25-30 active members.
Based on population statistics, there are 701 borough residents, 966 residents in Beech Creek Township and 1825 residents living in Liberty Township. Curtin Township's total population is about 500, but BC-B Fire Company is only the primary responder to the Orviston area since Howard Fire Company handles the other portion of Curtin Township.
The proposed fire tax the fire company is requesting would generate funds for the purpose of replacing (upgrading) apparatus on a rotating replacement plan so that none of the apparatus would be more than 20 years old, making those units more dependable and safer for use and repair parts would be easier to obtain for them.
By current real estate assessed values provided by the Centre and Clinton County tax offices, a one mil fire tax would generate roughly $128,882 a year towards the fire company's plan of replacing apparatus.
For those property owners who want to know what that additional mil would cost, the charge is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed real estate value. An example is that if your property is assessed at $60,000 then your fire tax for one mil would be $60 annually. Residents can call the Clinton or Centre County Assessment Office to learn more about the impact the mil increase would mean for their own tax bills.
Currently the fire company owns an engine, two tankers, a brush truck, an ATV unit and an ambulance. Both tankers are nearly 30 years old. Even if funds were not a problem, it would take about three years for an apparatus dealership to build a new unit and have it delivered to a fire department. Many fire companies are opting to purchase used pieces.
The organization's General Fund income is received by way of ambulance billings, donation request letters, social hall rentals and other fundraisers. These funds are used to pay normal bills like electric, phone, water, sewer, etc.
The fire company also routinely applies for grants each year. In addition to the fire station building, the fire company also has a social hall building and now owns the neighboring Beech Creek Post Office property that they collect rent from.
The fire company is expecting community residents to partner with them so they continue to stay financially sound both now and looking ahead to the future -- five, ten and more years from now -- by agreeing to have a fire tax enacted. BC-B Fire Company representatives have been attending the monthly meetings of the borough and the three townships asking for the tax increase, so that the fire company can better budget to be able to afford the maintenance and eventual purchase of newer firefighting equipment that will be needed.
Residents certainly are not in favor of additional taxes, and many stated (and as they had also stated last October) that a more feasible way of generating funding should be sought, rather than the municipalities imposing an "unfair" fire tax.
"I'm sick and tired of taxes," said Dan Romero, a community resident since 2010. "We already pay federal tax, state tax, local tax, sales tax, income tax, property tax and school tax, and now you want a fire tax... When is it going to end?"
Romero's lengthy speech ended with a round of applause from those listening in the audience.
An example of how the public views as unfair was found in Curtin Township, where a lot of camps and mobile homes in the township have very low general tax rates, but that other property owners with homes or acreage are taxed at a higher rate.
Those with camps and mobile homes don't pay anywhere close to what someone living in the township or borough with a higher assessed property value would have to pay, it was pointed out. Yet, someone paying very little, or renters who don't pay property tax bills at all, get the same benefit of protection from the fire company.
Older, retired residents are concerned about the impact that adding the tax would cause. They are on fixed incomes and don't have the extra funds to put out.
Some residents feel that it's only a matter of time before their (respective) county raises their general tax rates and the school districts raise their taxes and then here we are with the mil on our tax bill to pay, too.
"You (the fire company) want one mil now, but before too long you'll be after two mils," said a retired resident.
Most of the residents who spoke during the meeting voiced their appreciation to the fire company members for their dedication and their commitment to providing fire and ambulance services to the community.
The fire company sends "a beg letter to residents," as stated by a resident, but suggestions were made that if a request for a donation that looks more like a bill is mailed out to individuals then people would treat it as a bill and send a donation back. Howard Fire Company uses this type of source for generating donations.
BC-B Fire Company officials are hoping to continue to have discussions and negotiations with each of the municipality representatives.
Geyer has been trying to attend the borough and township meetings regularly in the past months and will strive to attend future meetings to keep the lines of communication open between the fire company and the borough and township officials.
Residents are encouraged to attend their local borough and township meetings to give their input on the proposed tax.
82nd District State Representative Paul Takac has been invited to the Curtin Township Supervisors meeting on April 1, at 6:30 p.m., at the township building located at 275 Orviston Mountain Road, Howard. All residents, whether living in Curtin Township or not, are encouraged to attend.