Agenda - 06-12-2008 - 3 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Fire Districts -continued at both stations with more energy efficient units, and replace their 1979 tanker, due to plumbing and tank rusting out. Chapel Hill Fire District $996 • Protection for the six homes located in this district is provided by the Town of Chapel Hill Fire Department. ® The tax rate is recommended to increase by 3.0 cents (from 1.9 to 4.9 cents) for FY 2008- 09. The current tax rate is much lower than surrounding fire districts and with this increase it will create a fair and more balanced fire district tax rate. Damascus Fire District Southern Triangle Fire District $45,976 .$'167,726 North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department contracts with Orange County to provide services to the citizens. in the Damascus and Southern Triangle districts of Orange County. The department requested that its current contract of $185,000 increase to $213,702 for fiscal year 2008-09. The increase in the contract is needed to help cover the cost of installing laptop computers in 8 vehicles to provide onboard mapping, the addition of paid staff to continue staffing stations to meet minimum requirements, and continuing to expand .their training program to provide the best level of services possible to the. districts. .During FY 2006-07, the department completed the requirements for the rated district to be extended to six miles in both Orange and Chatham counties, and this has resulted, in an average of 25% savings on homeowners' insurance premiums. During a FY 2006-07 budget work session, athree-year plan was presented to the Board of ; County Commissioners to raise the tax rate to equal Chatham County's current rate of 6.0 cents. FY 2008-09 is the third year of that three-year plan, and the tax rate for these districts is recommended to increase by 1.0 cent, from 5.0 cents to 6.0 cents for FY 2008- 09. The contract cost of $213,702 represents approximately 8% of the total North Chatham Fire Department's annual budget of $2.5 million. Efland Fire District $295,496 ® The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase by 1.0 cents (from 4.225 to 5.225 cents) for FY 2008-09. In FY 2007-08, the department placed in service a new tanker and completed the substation on Highway 70 and will be occupied by the end of the fiscal year. Currently, there are 13 firefighters who are working. on completing their firefighter level 1 and 2 training, 16 firefighters who are certified in emergency rescue services, and. 22 who are certified first responders. The department also has three high school youth participating in their Junior Firefighter Program. The district received grant funds to purchase 800 MHz radio equipment, which saved the taxpayers in this district approximately $100,000. The first responder program has more than doubled. their call volume, with approximately 250 to 280 __ alts-experienced-ttris-year. - 6-2