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Princeton commissioners weigh risks of proposed county fire‑tax changes
Summary
Princeton officials discussed a Johnston County proposal to recalculate fire funding shares that could raise the town’s obligation substantially; commissioners plan public meetings and said no immediate change would affect the current fiscal year.
Princeton commissioners spent a substantial portion of the May 4 meeting discussing a Johnston County proposal to restructure how municipalities share the cost of fire protection.
Town staff and elected officials said the county circulated a new allocation method tied to factors such as population, call volume and square miles. Under one illustration discussed in the meeting, Princeton’s share would increase by roughly $75,000 this year; the fire department’s budget request used in a multi-year illustration was described in the meeting as $275,254. Commissioners said those increases would be a substantial hit for town taxpayers if implemented.
Officials outlined three broad options: continue under Princeton’s current contract (in which the town pays the county-set rate under the existing agreement), move into a county fire-protection district (which would shift collection and distribution to the county and put the county in control of the assessment), or eventually build a local paid department (commissioners estimated that establishing a town-only department would require multi‑million-dollar startup and operating costs).
Several commissioners expressed concern about the pace and scale of the county request and the equity implications of redistributing costs across municipalities with differing tax bases. Board members said the county’s new model could shift costs from larger tax bases to smaller towns and noted the social impact on seniors and those on fixed incomes.
Town staff reported they had been advised the county would likely hold formal public hearings and that any switch to a county fire-protection district requires statutory process and county action; commissioners said they will hold further local public meetings and seek more information before making a decision that could affect future tax bills.
No formal board action was taken at the May 4 meeting. Mayor Stacy Johnson and staff said Princeton plans to attempt to hold rates steady for the current fiscal year provided the county’s final action matches current indications; commissioners asked for another meeting with county representatives and for clearer cost breakdowns ahead of future hearings.
