Fire dues placed on ballot

— Residents in the city limits of Avoca, Garfield and Gateway will decide whether they want to have their fire association dues included with their property taxbills each year when they vote in the May 18 primary election.

The Avoca Fire Department and Northeastern Benton County Fire Department in Garfield bill fire association dues to residents who live inside the city limits.

The departments will no longerhave to worry about billing those residents because the dues will be included with property taxes if the measure passes.

Frankie Elliott, chief of the Avoca Fire Department, said themove will generate more money for the fire departments.

Elliott estimated 70 percent of the people who live in Avoca already pay their fire dues. The measure will help the department collect from the remaining 30 percent.

“All of the people that I talk to that already pay their dues, this makes it easier for them because they will only have to write one check,” Elliott said.

Residents in the unincorporated areas of northeastern Benton County already pay their fire dues with their property taxes, said Judy Linstruth, office manager for NEBCO. The county began including fire dues with the property tax bills in January 2009 for those residents after voters approved it in July 2008.

State law at the time prevented the dues from being added to the tax bills of residents who live inside the city limits of Garfield, Gateway and Avoca, but are served by department, Linstruth said.

Fire dues for those who live in Gateway and Garfield are calculated on a scale. Property owners with properties valued at less than $99,000 pay $40 a year for their dues.

Property that is valued between $100,000 to $299,000 is billed $75. Dues for property worth more than $299,000 are $120, Linstruth said.

The Avoca Fire Department has a flat fee for its fire dues. That fee is $50 per habitable structure, Elliott said. Elliott said the money collected from fire dues is used to purchaseequipment and trucks for the volunteer fire departments.

News, Pages 1 on 05/05/2010