Fiscal Court Approves Fire Dues Increase for 2025

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County magistrates voted unanimously for a slight increase in county fire dues for all county property owners moving forward as the second reading of Ordinance EC25-19 was approved and adopted at yesterday's Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting.

Fire dues will increase from the current $30 per year to $50 per tax bill, which will be only the second increase in 30 years, with the last one coming in 2019 from $25 to $30 per year. The increase will boost fire departments' standard annual due revenue by more than 66%.

The discussion from the last fiscal court meeting was centered around the current needs of local fire departments, which are also affected by the high inflation rates of the past few years. Increased costs and needs have financially strained already budget-strapped fire departments, which are all volunteers.

The Fiscal Court also approved Resolution EC25-20, which will allow $26,000 of state funding to repair James Parsley Road, which intersects with Mohawk Road in the Brownsville/Chalybeate area. 

Map locating James Parsley Road, off Mohawk Road in Edmonson County.

According to County Treasurer Tammi Willhite, it is a new state project called County Priority Projects Program through the Department of Rural and Municipal Aid. The county applied for assistance for three different roads, only one of which was approved. She said the program stemmed from what used to be known as Discretionary Funding.

She said the road has not sustained major damage but has deteriorated over the years.

The Court also approved  Commonwealth of Kentucky Contract - FEMA DR 4860, which simply allows the county to accept reimbursement for flood-damaged areas from the February floods. These areas included Mouth of Bear Creek Road, Browning Road, and Willie Webb Road bridge.

A final dollar amount has not yet been determined, as the work is not yet completed.

The Fiscal Court also voted to:

• Approve R&R Controls Preventative Maintenance Service Agreement-Sheriff, Dispatch, Emergency Management Offices and Parks-Estimate #250105, FY26.
• Approve R&R Controls Preventative Maintenance Service Agreement-Courthouse Annex-Estimate #250111, FY26.
• Approve R&R Controls Preventative Maintenance Service Agreement-Courthouse-Estimate #250112, FY26.
• Approve to appoint Julie Skaggs Reed to Board of Assessments for a 3 year term.
• Approve Ordinance EC25-19, Fire Dues Increase. Second Reading and Adoption.
• Approve Commonwealth of Kentucky Contract-FEMA DR 4860.
• Approve Resolution EC25-20, James Parsley Road County Priority Project Program.
• Approve Resolution EC25-17, V. Sanders Road Removal.
• Approve Ordinance EC25-21, Administrative Code, First Reading.