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Van Buren County adopts Resolution 503 guaranteeing $25,000 minimum annual funding for each fire department
Summary
The commission unanimously adopted Resolution 503 May 18, which sets a base annual allocation of $25,000 for each of Van Buren County’s five fire departments and directs remaining funds to be distributed according to a schedule in the resolution.
The Van Buren County Commission adopted Resolution 503 May 18 to formalize how a countywide fire-assessment special levy will be distributed. The resolution guarantees each of the county’s five fire departments at least $25,000 annually and specifies that additional funds be distributed according to a schedule included in the resolution.
Meeting materials note that the special assessment — a levy of $0.10 per $100 of assessed value originally voted in 1986 to provide countywide fire protection — has historically been distributed roughly evenly across departments. The newly formed Fire Board, which includes two county commissioners and one representative from each fire department, met twice and proposed the distribution formula after members reported that some departments hold large reserves while others face shortages.
Commissioner Tabitha Denney moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Michael Chandler seconded; the commission approved the motion by unanimous roll call. Meeting minutes record that approval was contingent on the distribution schedule described in the adopted resolution.
The resolution directs the Fire Board and county finance staff to carry out distributions under the new schedule. The commission did not record any public comments on the item during the meeting.
