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Senate committee approves bill to require collection of fire-protection district dues on tax rolls; sponsor pledges quorum-court oversight amendment
Summary
The committee passed SB 461 to place fire-protection district dues on the tax roll for collection alongside property taxes; sponsors agreed to pursue a House-side amendment requiring quorum-court review and approval of dues after questions about oversight, assessment standards and impacts on owners who self-insure.
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee approved SB 461 after testimony from fire chiefs, tax collectors and property owners debating whether fire-protection district dues should be collected by county tax collectors alongside ad valorem taxes.
Sponsor Senator Hammer said the bill narrows focus to fire protection districts (removing volunteer nonprofit departments) and would require quorum courts to respond within 60 days to a fire department’s request related to forming or funding a district. The measure would also place approved district dues on the tax roll so collectors could remit funds reliably, a change intended to improve collection rates and operational stability.
Pulaski County Treasurer Deborah Buckner told the committee that collectors already handle similar assessments (city liens, sanitation fees) and that placing dues on the property-tax roll would increase escrowing by mortgage companies, improving revenue certainty for districts. Chief David Steele explained district governance and said most districts set dues by election and use revenues for capital needs and utilities; he said unimproved acreage in his district is charged $0.25/acre while typical household assessments are higher.
Critics worried about representation and the effective imposition of a tax. Paul Calvert, a landlord, said mandatory assessments felt like a tax on owners who self-insure and asked how owners would be notified and protected. Questions also focused on wide variability in assessment formulas across districts and the lack of statewide standardization.
To address oversight concerns, the sponsor committed to filing an amendment on the House side that would require quorum-court review and approval of district dues. With that pledge, the committee approved the bill by voice vote.
Next steps include the sponsor’s promised amendment to formalize quorum-court review and consideration in the other chamber.
