Warren County advances first reading of insurance-fee ordinance to fund volunteer fire services

Warren County Fiscal Court on Thursday, Feb. 20 approved the first reading of Ordinance 25-03, which would impose a license fee on insurance companies doing business in the county to generate recurring funding for volunteer fire services.

The ordinance advanced after a 40-minute presentation by Bill Rector, Warren County fire coordinator, who laid out a four‑pronged plan — recruitment and retention, staffing, apparatus acquisition and station improvements — and three implementation phases aimed at shoring up a volunteer system the county says has not kept pace with rapid population growth.

Rector said the county’s volunteer departments face aging equipment and station needs and declining volunteer availability during daytime hours. He proposed a phased staffing plan that would place 24 part‑time personnel across six stations in Phase 1, with a projected implementation date of July 1, 2025. Rector said the daily cost for those 24 personnel would be about $4,680 and that longer‑term staffing and leadership positions drive higher costs in later phases: a part‑time personnel projection of $873,600 in one stage and a Phase 3 projection of $3,716,700 (projected for Jan. 1, 2027). In a maximum‑coverage scenario the presentation estimated an annual staffing cost of up to $4,044,300.

“The time to act is now,” Rector told the court. He urged the county to begin a multi‑year apparatus replacement plan, noting that some frontline vehicles in Warren County date to the 1990s and that new ladder trucks can exceed $2 million. He also highlighted the role of faster response and staffed daytime coverage in saving lives: “Seconds count,” he said, citing study findings that 56% of people rescued in residential structure fires were rescued by initial responding personnel.

Several volunteer chiefs who accompanied Rector described local impacts and urged the court to adopt a funding mechanism. Chief Brian Lee of Richardsville said his department’s call volume rose from about 450 calls in 2008 to 1,248 in 2024 and that some stations already supplement volunteer coverage with part‑time personnel. “We can’t maintain providing the best service possible without assistance with staffing and a strategic plan for apparatus replacement,” Lee said.

Chief Duckett (Gott Volunteer Fire Department) and Chief Kevin Bailey (Plano Volunteer Fire Department) also emphasized aging apparatus and daytime staffing shortages. Duckett cited National Fire Protection Association guidance that places many aging trucks into reserve or retirement status after 20–25 years, and said suppliers estimate 24–36 months for new apparatus deliveries. Chief Bob Skipper (Woodburn) described station buildings well past their design life and said population shifts have placed response needs farther from existing stations.

Frank from MissionCIT, the consultant that completed an 82‑page study for the county, told the court the county has made “intentional and consistent efforts” to follow the report’s recommendations and that the plan now on the table is a logical next step. Judge Doug Gorman, who led the court’s work over nearly three years, said the funding proposal mirrors mechanisms used by other Kentucky counties and that the court must weigh short‑term costs against long‑term public‑safety benefits.

The court approved the ordinance’s first reading on a roll call vote (motion by Squire McWhorter; second by Squire Aldridge). The ordinance will require a second reading and additional formal action before it becomes law; supporters said the funding would enable the county to seek state and federal grants and to implement the staged staffing and apparatus plan described in the presentation.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 25-03 (first reading): Imposes a license fee on insurance companies to fund fire services. Motion: Squire McWhorter. Second: Squire Aldridge. Outcome: First reading approved (roll call recorded as all present voting yes). Next step: second reading and final adoption pending. - Item 1: Approve minutes of Feb. 13, 2025 fiscal court meeting. Outcome: approved. - Item 6: Approve work schedule for Warren County Road Department. Outcome: approved. - Item 8: Rezoning: 2965 Plano Road (approx. 29.92 acres) from agriculture to single‑family residential (Firm Lineage LLC). Outcome: approved. - Items 9–17, 19, 25–26: Procurement/determinations for road, parks and facilities (amounts and vendors as listed in the meeting). Outcome: approved (individual roll calls recorded yes). - Item 11: Treasurer’s report, January 2025. Outcome: approved. - Item 18: U.S. Bureau of Prisons inspection reports, January 2025 (no deficiencies). Outcome: approved. - Item 20: Approval order appointing Doug Gorman to the Barren River Area Development District Executive Council. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded yes; an abstention was mentioned during discussion but not recorded by name in the roll call transcript). - Item 21: Appointments to Warren County Ethics Commission (Greg Farrell, Julie Denton Price). Outcome: approved. - Items 22–23: Fund transfers and budget transfers for Warren County. Outcome: approved. - Item 24: Appraisal procurement for property at 2325 Airway Court. Outcome: approved. - Item 27: Approve procurement of professional services and contract execution with HDR Engineering Inc., City of Bowling Green and Warren County for corridor identification and development (passenger rail planning). Outcome: approved. - Claims/payment of bills (general, road, jail, stormwater, E‑911 and other funds) were presented and approved.

Context and next steps

The court’s action on the ordinance was a first procedural step; County officials repeatedly said adoption would be phased and that spending plans would follow further hearings and budget actions. Supporters framed the proposal as a way to stabilize funding so departments can pursue grants and plan a multi‑decade replacement and staffing program. Opponents did not appear at the meeting to publicly oppose the rezoning item; no formal opposition to the ordinance was recorded during the Feb. 20 session.

The fiscal court’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 13 at 9 a.m. at the Warren County Courthouse; a second reading of the ordinance and additional budget items may appear on future agendas.