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Fire chiefs urge commissioners to preserve or raise fire-tax rates to retain staffing
Summary
Multiple volunteer and combination fire chiefs told the board that rising call volumes, aging equipment and competitive pay pressures have left departments unable to recruit volunteers and force shifts toward paid staffing; many requested keeping current tax rates or modest increases rather than adopting a revenue-neutral cut.
Dozens of fire chiefs and department representatives urged the Davidson County Board of Commissioners on May 26 to preserve or modestly raise local fire-tax rates so departments can hire and retain personnel, replace aging apparatus and maintain 24/7 coverage.
Kevin Hooser, Arcadia Fire Department chief, said his department expects to exceed 1,400 calls this year and requested a $0.03 (3¢) increase to fund additional full-time firefighters and equipment maintenance. "Staffing saves lives," Hooser told the board, citing a shift from heavy volunteer coverage to dependence on paid personnel.
Multiple chiefs described similar pressures: rising call volumes (several departments reported call-volume increases since 2019–2023), price inflation for apparatus (examples included front tires at $1,200 each, ladder trucks now priced in the millions), and retirement or attrition that has reduced volunteer rosters. Midway Fire Department's Michael Kraft said the merged Midway/Gumtree department recorded about 700 calls so far this year and projects increased costs for personnel and maintenance.
Some departments requested that their current, board-approved tax rates be reflected on the new property valuations (for example, Hill and Springs asked that its recently approved $0.13 rate be preserved on the budget), while others asked the commission to consider phased increases rather than a single-year hike. Robbie Binkley of Fair Grove asked to maintain a $0.10 rate or seek a modest increase to fund three full-time positions. Several chiefs emphasized that the additional revenue would be used primarily for personnel and benefits rather than equipment alone.
Commissioners questioned the mechanics of the "revenue-neutral" calculation and whether an incremental phased approach could spread the fiscal impact on taxpayers. Speakers offered simple homeowner-cost examples: a modest cents-per-dollar change would translate to a few dozen dollars per household annually depending on property values.
No formal vote on fire taxing policy occurred on May 26; the item will be part of the county budget discussions at the June 4 work session. Departments provided budget sheets to county staff for further review.
Representative quotes: "If we show up with one person, that ain’t coming today. They’re not coming. So what you show up with is what you’ve got to work with," Arcadia Fire Chief Kevin Hooser said.
"We’ve reached the limit of what our current budget can do without compromising safety or service quality," Robert Fire and Rescue Chief Mark Reed said, urging an adjustment that would raise his department’s budget by roughly 29% in one scenario presented.
What happens next: Commissioners and staff will review district-by-district budget submissions and revenue-neutral calculations at a June 4 budget work session before any decision about tax rates or specific increases.
