Granville County residents will be paying an extra tax that will be used to provide financial help to fire departments across the county.
The Granville County Fire Protection and Rescue Service District was established with the passage of the new county budget that went into effect July 1, according to information from Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.
Fire departments throughout the county will now receive funding from this dedicated funding stream, and the money must be spent on fire and rescue services. The newly formed district includes all unincorporated areas of the county, as well as the town of Stovall. It took effect after several months of public meetings and deliberation by the board of county commissioners following the completion of an in-depth study by the N.C. Fire Chiefs Consulting firm.
Anyone who lives within the municipal limits of the Town of Butner, City of Creedmoor, City of Oxford and Town of Stem are not in the Fire Protection and Rescue Service District and are not subject to the applicable district tax.
The tax rate is $0.06 per $100, which means that a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000 would see a rise of $60 in his or her annual tax bill.
The tax is expected to generate $1,875,733 in fiscal year 2022-2023.
“The district will help protect the health and safety of all Granville County residents by providing a dedicated and sustainable funding source for the county’s volunteer fire departments and ensure that all residents receive professional fire protection services when needed no matter where they live in the county,” the press release stated.
Before this district was established, there was not a dedicated funding source for fire departments in Granville County, which made it difficult for individual fire departments to plan for capital expenses like trucks and stations, not to mention annual expenses such as standard equipment, training, utilities and other routine costs to keep a fire department operational.
Departments will receive a base funding level and the volunteer fire departments will also be eligible to receive additional enhancement funding. Fire departments with “first responder” designation will receive $85,454 and include Berea, Brassfield, Bullock, Cornwall and Stem. Antioch, Butner, Corinth, Creedmoor, Granville Rural, Oxford, and Providence departments will get $80,192. South Virgilina will get $53,377 since they also get funding from Halifax County, VA.
Although final authority rests with the county commissioners, the fire and rescue services district will have an advisory board – the Granville County Fire Commission – whose members will be appointed by the county commissioners and will have members who reside in the north, central and southern portions of the county as well as the president of the Granville County Fire Chief’s Association.
The Board of Commissioners recognized that fire departments throughout the county are facing a host of distinct challenges that would need sound and thoughtful financial planning. One of these future challenges is staffing, which may be required by the NC Department of Insurance to keep fire insurance affordable and have firefighters ready when emergencies occur.
To learn more, contact the Granville County Tax Administration Office at 919.693.4181 or visit the office at 141 Williamsboro St., Oxford.