Salem Fire Chief asks Burke County commissioners to raise fire tax rate to 0.1

Salem Fire and Rescue Chief Charles Autry told the Burke County Board of Commissioners on April 7 that his department is requesting an increase in its fire tax rate from 0.0716 to 0.1 to finance a new engine, cover mortgage payments on a recently completed station and respond to rising call and operating volumes.

Autry told the board Salem saved about $1.5 million to build a new station and has $545,000 remaining in a certificate of deposit; $351,000 of that will be applied to finalize a mortgage expected in April, and the department will begin monthly mortgage payments of more than $16,000. He said the department has ordered a new engine priced at $943,000 that must be financed under contract terms by the end of 2025 and that payments on the engine are estimated at about $12,000 per month.

The request, Autry said, follows a large rise in demand: Salem's recorded fire calls rose from 95 in 2013 to 231 in 2024 (a 143% increase), medical calls and total service volume have also grown, and vehicle maintenance costs rose from about $12,000 in FY23-24 to $35,000 in FY24-25. He said the new station has higher utility and monitoring costs, and the department is expanding community programming and monthly countywide training. Autry also described an ongoing volunteer-duty-officer model and said the department is studying the cost of eventually providing 24/7 coverage.

Commissioners asked about alternatives and process. One commissioner asked whether the department had considered buying a used or "certified pre-owned" engine; Autry replied the contract is signed and that standards and the 30-year replacement guideline drove the purchase. Commissioners asked whether a reserve engine exists (Autry said the department will keep the replaced 30-year engine as a reserve), about the timing of contracting before securing financing, and about the outreach done before requesting the increase. Autry said he held a public meeting in March that was advertised in the local paper, that attendance was low and no one spoke against the request, and that the department's board unanimously approved asking the county to raise the rate.

Autry also described mutual aid responses to incidents outside the district (including wildfire responses on Burmont Mountain), explained that some neighboring unprotected areas receive no insurance discount, and said the department has discussed incorporating additional territory into its district but that doing so presents additional costs.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to hold the item for further consideration, direct the county manager to provide guidance within the next few weeks and place the item on the regular meeting for a decision two weeks from the pre-agenda meeting. The motion passed with a 5-0 vote.

The board did not make a final decision on the tax rate at the pre-agenda meeting; commissioners directed staff to prepare materials and recommendations for a decision at the regular meeting in two weeks.

Autry: "We're here today to request an increase in our tax rate from 0.0716 to 0.1."