The State of Alger Volunteer Fire Department, Fire District 14...To levy or not to levy, that is the question.

6/15/2015

Alger Volunteer Fire Department, Fire District 14, ranks fourth busiest in the county and covers 25 square miles of rural area which houses a population of 4,000 (10,000 seasonally). Due to the fact that most volunteers work outside the area, there is a lack of volunteers available during day. Even if there were more available volunteers, the Fire District 14 lacks the funds to properly train. This is a common problem for most fire departments across the nation.
The Alger Volunteer Fire Department is tax dependent. Currently, property owners are taxed $.58 per thousand dollars of total property value. Fire District 14 is considering proposing a levy to raise funds. However, it costs money to put a proposed levy on the ballot, money they don't have to spare.
Our community must clearly communicate with the Alger Volunteer Fire Department whether or not they would vote in support of a levy. Stay tuned for further community meetings regarding this important issue. As of right now, folks living within the area in need of first aid would have particular trouble receiving help during the day.
Below is a powerpoint that Chief David Skrinde put together for the last community meeting. Unfortunately, only a few community members attended.
~Sarai Stevens

4 Comments

6/15/2015 02:14:07 am

How much money are we looking at to fund a levy? Are the corporate interests, the pipelines, casino, hotels and telecommunications industry paying their share, or are we being asked to subsidize them?

David Skrinde

6/15/2015 08:26:33 am

What we are looking for is to determine what level of service the citizens expect and want. This may drive the conversation of possibly raising the levy rate based on feed-back.

Our cost increase by 2% each year although our revenue only increases by 1%. Funding for communication infrastructure used to be funded by the county 911 system. They no longer can provide the same level of funds pushing the financial burden back on the fire district. This is just one example of the challenges we face.

Hope this answers your question.

Dena Petersen

6/15/2015 05:51:39 am

I would vote for a levy request from the Alger Fire Department. Time is critical in responding to fires and other hazardous situations. We are privileged to live in a beautiful forested area, but that also means that we must be willing to support the services we need to be safe in our rural area. In addition, for many of us, our homeowner's insurance rates are based, in part, on our distance from a Fire Department, whether volunteer or professional. The cost of a levy approval is likely to be much less costly than an increase in insurance premiums.

David Skrinde

6/15/2015 08:28:02 am

Thank you for your support.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

The State of Alger Volunteer Fire Department, Fire District 14...To levy or not to levy, that is the question.

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