PUTNAM FIRE FEE Fire Fighters Explain How Fire Fee Will Be Spent
Reported by: Dave Benton
Videographer: Jeremy Bias, Dan Matics
Web Producer: Dave Benton
Reported: Jun. 17, 2012 9:51 PM EDT
Updated: Jun. 17, 2012 11:19 PM EDT
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Winfield
, Putnam County
, West Virginia
People who live in Putnam County and rely on volunteer fire departments for protection will soon be paying more taxes.
The decision was made at a special Commission meeting last week. Now residents are questioning how the money will be spent. Folks who own a 25 hundred square foot home are currently paying 25 dollars a year, but that will increase by 12 dollars and 50 cents. To put that into perspective for you, that's about 25 cents a week. It might sound fair to some people, but not to a lot of folks who showed up at the commission meeting.
Ellen Pauley said, "I haven't done enough research to see if indeed the money we give the fire department is actually being spent to the greatest use of the dollar."
Dana Spade with the Hurricane Volunteer Fire Department said, "Without this fee increase, we wouldn't have enough fuel for the vehicles, or equipment for our men. Year ago, it cost 100 thousand dollars for a fire truck, now it's 300 thousand dollars."
There was talk to gradually increase the fee over two years, but that was turned down.
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Dave Benton
