MVFD Hosting Public Hearing on Fire Tax Rate Increase |
By Mechanicsville Volunteers | |
January 23, 2024 | |
**PUBLIC NOTICE** On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department requested authorization from St. Mary’s County Commissioners to hold public hearings and meetings to discuss a Fire Tax rate increase. The Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the public hearing. This increase would go from .046 to .056 per tax assessed $1000 property value. The maximum tax rate is currently .056. Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department has been operating since 1934. A public hearing has been approved by the Saint Marys County Commissioners and will be held on Feb.13th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., at the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department with public comments ending on February 22nd, 2024.
MVFD has not had a tax rate increase since 2009, and with a continuously growing call volume our operating expenses have increased dramatically. Our fuel cost increase for a 3-year average is 20%. The Department has 124 members, with 23 new members in last 12 months! MVFD has not failed to respond on an incident since October 2020. Askey & Associates, CPA, LLC conducts an annual audit of our finances. Below is data from 2023 for MVFD. In 2023 out of 958 incidents, there were 240 overlapping incidents, which equates to 24.92% of all responses. Time on Incidents (HH:MM:SS) Individual Unit Responses by Type: Response Time Averages: (MM:SS) Automatic / Mutual Aide (To other Fire Departments) Incident Types: Regularly Scheduled Maintenance Expenditures: In 2022 MVFD ordered a new 750 gallon engine to replace a 1989 engine. In January 2024 MVFD ordered a new 3000 gallon tanker, to replace our 1996 3000 gallon tanker, at significant cost due to inflation rates in fire service apparatus. Our Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air cylinders are approaching the end of their life span. These replacements are in part necessitated by National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) replacement guidelines to ensure the safety of our crews and meet modern operational practices so we can serve the community best. We continuously apply for local, state, and federal grants as well as fundraise multiple times a year via our Department Auxiliary. |
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