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Board schedules public hearing on proposed volunteer fire/rescue vehicle tax exemption
Summary
County staff proposed two ordinances to exempt one vehicle owned by qualified volunteer fire and rescue personnel from personal property tax and from the $28 vehicle license tax; the board authorized public hearings on Aug. 27 and staff said the FY25 budget includes an estimated revenue reduction of about $216,000.
County staff presented draft ordinances, modeled on state code (Va. Code §58.1-3506), that would exempt one vehicle owned by an eligible volunteer firefighter or rescue squad member from personal property tax and vehicle license tax. The draft requires a chief’s certification that a volunteer regularly responds to calls or regularly performs duties to qualify.
Staff said the county’s FY25 proposed budget already accounts for revenue reductions to implement the exemption—an estimated reduction of approximately $216,000—and that the county believes there are about 270 active volunteers who would potentially qualify under ordinary enforcement of chiefs’ certifications.
Board action: members moved and seconded to authorize public hearings on the ordinances at the Aug. 27 meeting and requested representation from fire-rescue leadership at that hearing to answer qualification and implementation questions.
Why it matters: the proposals are intended as recruitment and retention incentives for volunteer emergency responders. Board members raised concerns about defining ‘‘active’’ volunteers and asked for a process chiefs could use to certify eligibility so the benefit reaches those who regularly respond to calls.
