Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Salem Fire Rescue asks Burke County commissioners to raise fire tax to cover new engine, mortgage
Summary
Salem Fire Rescue Chief Charles Autry asked the Burke County Board of Commissioners to raise the department's tax rate from 0.0716 to 0.1 to cover mortgage payments and a new engine; commissioners voted 5-0 to move the item to the regular meeting for decision in two weeks.
Salem Fire Rescue Chief Charles Autry told the Burke County Board of Commissioners on April 7 that his volunteer department is seeking an increase in its tax rate from 0.0716 to 0.1 to cover a contractually required financing plan for a new fire engine and rising operating costs.
Autry said the department has historically had the county's lowest fire tax rate, has built savings and moved into a new station, and now faces higher construction and operating costs. "We are required to, in the purchase contract to have financing in place for this engine by the end of 2025," Autry said. He told…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
