By Galen C. McBride Rappahannock News Staff Writer The

By Galen C. McBride

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

The county fire levy and the board that administers it appear to be misunderstood by both citizens and, in some cases, the volunteers themselves. Resented by many property owners as yet another hated tax, the fire levy is the financial backbone of the volunteer system.

The fire levy, which generates only about $275,000 per year, is a separately identified two percent surcharge on actual real estate and personal property valuation. Many large landholders opposed the levy because it did not consider land use discounts.

According to Fire Levy Board (FLB) member Richie Burke, without the income generated by the levy, volunteer fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) throughout the county could easily have become a thing of the past.

For the past 20 years, the number of volunteer members has plummeted, affecting fund raising operations as well as response to calls. Donations dwindled and income could not keep pace with rising expenses.

“Three years ago,” said Burke in a recent interview, “we were struggling to keep the doors open. The county was paying insurance on vehicles and that was it.”

Fire chiefs were warned that if the levy was approved, voluntary donations would go down. Chiefs throughout the county confirmed that this happened. However, the fire levy made up for the losses and then some — enough, in most cases, to cover most normal operating expenses.

But, from the fire companies’ perspective, the dependability of the income from the levy is one of its most important features. It permits fiscal planning and budgeting to a level never before possible.

“The levy has greatly helped because now all fund raising can be put against capital outlay, ‘like purchasing fire trucks and making building improvements,’” said Burke. “It has gotten beyond the means of companies to