Fiscal Court Passes First Reading of Increased Fire Dues, Judge Lindsey Explains Reasoning

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court voted to approve an increase in county fire dues at the June 23rd fiscal court meeting in Brownsville, with the first reading passing yesterday.

The increase is only the second one in over 30 years with the most recent one occurring in 2019, from $25 to $30.

The new increase, if passed on the second reading at the next fiscal court meeting, will be $50 for every property tax bill.

We spoke with Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey about the court's decision to raise the dues, which will go into effect on this year's property tax bills if the second reading passes. Lindsey said the decision came after local fire chiefs asked the court for assistance with rising costs and needs.

"Nobody wants to see an increase in fire dues—but the reality is, at times it is necessary," Lindsey told the Edmonson Voice today.

"The cost of operating our local volunteer fire departments has gone up significantly across the board. From essential equipment and maintenance to rising insurance premiums and fuel costs, our departments are being stretched thin."

He then gave multiple examples of rising costs that are affecting local departments, which included:

• Turn Out Gear (Helmet, Jacket, Pants, Boots, and Gloves - $4,374 per person. These have a 10 year expiration date on each item.
• SCBA Air Packs (Mask, Air Pack, Bottle for Oxygen) - $9,179.66 each
• Fire Department Frequency Radios - $1,600 each
• Hose:  50 feet of 1 3/4" Hose -  $2,618.56 -- 50 feet of 2.5" Hose - $5,153.80
• Insurance - $15,224 per year 

Judge Lindsey noted that this is only a partial list of expenses and that some of these have seen an increase in cost of more than 50% since the last Ordinance that set the dues at $30 per year.

"These dues directly support the volunteers who show up day and night to protect our homes, property, and loved ones. It’s not just about buildings or trucks—it’s about the safety of our community members in an emergency situation."

The JE also said he spoke with several insurance companies and asked about the difference in homeowners' insurance that a trained volunteer fire department can make on their insurance premiums.

"Although they could not give me an exact savings or cost because of the many variables involved, one of the agents that I spoke to stated that the close proximity to a fire department causes a significant decrease in the cost of the local community's homeowner's insurance premiums. They also stated that many companies will deny coverage to any home that is more than five miles from a fire department. Speaking from personal knowledge of a situation, one of my good friends received an increase in their insurance because of a clerical error that was corrected based on the proximity of the Fire Department that covered their district. The error incorrectly showed their home being within 5 miles of their fire department, because in reality, they were more than five miles from the fire department that covered their district, their insurance increased by $670 per year."

Judge Lindsey described local fire departments as a "a committed group of public servants that want nothing more than to keep their community safe."

"While no one likes increases in fire dues, taxes, or anything else that costs our hard working families money out of their pocket, we feel that this increase is warranted and most everyone will agree that an extra $20 per year to support our fire departments is a small price to pay for our ability to have lower insurance rates, and more safety and security in our communities. The increase in dues is simply to help offset some of the operational costs of the fire departments. The last thing that we should want is to have a volunteer fire department that cannot afford the operational expenses that it takes to keep our community safe."

Edmonson County has seven fire departments, which are all 100% volunteer, which include Lincoln, Kyrock, Bear Creek, Brownsville, Chalybeate, Rocky Hill, and Wingfield.

The second reading is expected to pass at the July 14th Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting.