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Bay District seeks local public hearing on proposed fire tax increase
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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 department’s call volume runs “roughly about 2,400 calls a year.” Turner added that the average annual cost to a household in the 8th Election District would be about $23.41 if the increase is adopted.
Turner and other Bay District representatives told commissioners that apparatus costs have risen sharply: ladder trucks and rescue squads now commonly cost in the seven-figure range, and manufacturers’ price increases of roughly 5–6% per year have extended procurement lead times. Commissioners asked about capital projects at two stations, permitting delays for a proposed drive-around at the FDR station and the department’s use of a low-interest revolving loan fund. Turner's presentation noted the fund’s current per-station allotment (often cited around $1,000,000) may no longer be sufficient given current apparatus prices.
Commissioner Scott Ostrow moved to authorize the Bay District to hold the Feb. 24 hearing and directed that public hearing comments be submitted for the FY 2027 budget process and considered at the board’s public hearing on April 21, 2026. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The commission did not adopt a tax-rate change at the Jan. 27 meeting; commissioners authorized only the local public hearing to receive public comment. The department said it would present more detailed repair estimates and financing options at that hearing.
Next steps: Bay District will hold the Feb. 24 local public hearing; commissioners will receive hearing results and consider any tax-rate change during the FY 2027 budget process.
