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Bay District seeks local public hearing on proposed fire tax increase
Summary
Bay District Volunteer Fire Department asked commissioners to authorize a Feb. 24, 2026 public hearing on a proposed tax-rate increase from 0.05 to 0.056; presenters cited rising fuel, equipment and maintenance costs and estimated a $23.41 annual household impact in the 8th Election District. Commissioners approved the hearing request and told staff to include results in the FY 2027 budget process.
Bay District Volunteer Fire Department officials asked the St. Mary’s County commissioners on Jan. 27 to authorize a local public hearing on Feb. 24, 2026, on a proposed increase in the district’s fire tax rate from 0.05 to 0.056.
Jason Turner, identified in the meeting as the fire chief, summarized the department’s financial pressures and said rising costs for personal protective equipment, fuel and apparatus maintenance have outpaced revenue. “We have maintained our current tax rate since 2005,” Turner said, and the…
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