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SLV special tax district budget and paid‑firefighter plan draws defense from Sandy Branch chief
Summary
Sandy Branch Fire Chief Robert Morris told council the SLV special tax district budget funds SLV taxpayers and that a $40,000 line item renamed 'paid firefighters' is not new; he defended departmental performance and disputed claims about Modoc Volunteer Fire Department and countywide fees.
Robert Morris, who identified himself as fire chief of the Sandy Branch Fire Department, spoke at length to McCormick County Council on July 10 to explain the Savannah Lakes Village (SLV) special tax district budget and to respond to council questions and public criticism.
Morris told council the SLV special tax district budget is compiled by the fire chief and the SLV tax commission and then submitted to the county for approval. He said a $40,000 item now labeled "paid firefighters" is not a new allocation but a re‑naming of an existing capital reserve to allow the department to plan for hiring if volunteer numbers continue to decline: "It was changed from return to capital reserve to paid firefighters," he said, adding the funds would be used only by Sandy Branch and only within its district.
Councilman Charles Cook had earlier questioned whether tax‑district money is effectively county money because the council approves the special tax annually and can authorize allocations to county fire departments. Cook said the council must consider whether paid firefighters would be placed and paid in a way that represents optimal use of taxpayer dollars.
Morris pushed back on public and council statements that compared Sandy Branch to Modoc Volunteer Fire Department, saying the comparisons were "apples to oranges." He said Sandy Branch covers a substantially larger area, runs more calls, and provides automatic aid across much of the county; he disputed assertions about Modoc’s capacity and about the per‑taxpayer fee math used in prior public discussion.
Morris also summarized changes in his department — training, equipment purchases, added EMR instructors, and grants — and said the department has been a good steward of taxpayer money. He urged council to consider the differing service footprints and to avoid blanket comparisons between districts.
The exchange included public comment from Tamela White criticizing 'Clearwater Solutions' for its handling of a recent E. coli incident and warning residents could have become ill. The council did not take an immediate vote to change any budgets during the meeting but discussed the issue as part of broader capital project and tax‑district deliberations.
