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Council approves purchase of ladder truck amid debate over fire tax and staffing
Summary
Oak Island council discussed shifting more fire costs onto a dedicated fire tax, debated whether a 1¢–2¢ increase would remove general-fund subsidies, and voted to move forward with purchase of a ladder truck to replace aging apparatus. Staffing requests remain a work in progress.
Oak Island — Facing aging apparatus and ongoing staffing shortfalls, the Town Council on April 28 approved moving forward with the purchase of a new ladder truck while continuing to weigh a dedicated fire-tax increase to reduce subsidies from the general fund.
Council members and staff debated whether a 1-cent or 2-cent increase to the town’s dedicated fire tax would eliminate a subsidy the general fund currently provides to the fire department. Staff advised that a 2-cent increase would “almost completely cover” the current subsidy and bring the fire department closer to self-sufficiency, while council members questioned whether to split increases between the dedicated fire tax and the ad valorem rate or to take some costs from reserves.
The discussion also addressed the department’s staffing shortfall and operational safety standards. Fire leadership explained that adding one staffed position per shift requires three full-time hires (one per shift) and that the town is working toward National Fire Protection Association staffing goals so that engine and ladder crews have adequate personnel. Staff said the recommended budget includes one additional leadership position but that three additional firefighter positions requested in earlier budget cycles are not fully funded in the draft.
On the apparatus, staff told council the oldest ladder units needed replacement and requested council direction because a vendor timeline made a prompt decision necessary. A council motion to purchase the ladder truck carried in voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion, a second and an affirmative vote but does not include a roll-call tally.
Why it matters: The apparatus purchase addresses an immediate equipment need and reduces operational risk from older vehicles, while any tax decision would change who pays for fire services going forward. A 1-cent fire-tax step was described by staff as roughly $50 per year on a $500,000 home; a full 2-cent increase would be closer to $100 annually on that example. Council members said they want to balance long-term sustainability for the department with the town’s reserve policy and capital priorities.
Council next steps: Staff will include the truck purchase (and financing or fund-balance options) in the recommended budget for the May meeting and present fire-tax scenarios and staffing cost implications. The council will hear the budget at the May public presentation and hold the formal public hearing in late May before the June vote.
