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Gallatin County approves $725 unit fee for Fort Ellis to fund one‑year contract with Highlight Fire
Summary
The Gallatin County Commission voted to raise the Fort Ellis Fire Service Area unit fee from $600 to $725 to fund a one‑year professional services agreement with Highlight Fire District as the districts explore consolidation; supporters say it preserves emergency response while critics warned of repeated tax increases and urged more community engagement.
The Gallatin County Commission on July 22 approved a resolution to raise the Fort Ellis Fire Service Area unit fee from $600 to $725 to fund a one‑year professional services agreement with Highlight Fire District.
Board chair Norbert Hackle told the commission the area is an all‑volunteer department facing recruitment and leadership challenges after recent retirements and the construction and debt service on a new station. ‘‘We are an all volunteer fire department, and that is a staffing model that is harder and harder to maintain,’’ Hackle said, describing the $125 per‑unit increase as money to pay for a professional services contract to provide a chief, training officer and…
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