BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) - A Raleigh County official is urging residents to vote in favor of a new fire levy.
The new levy, which will be on the May 10 ballot, is cheaper than the previous levy, which already lowered home insurance rates in some areas, Raleigh County fire levy coordinator Kevin Price told the Register-Herald. The levy brings benefits to the firefighting abilities of departments in the county, he said.
A fire levy allocates money from property taxes to fire services. The new levy should lower property taxes by 21 percent.
Times are tough financially throughout the state, Price said, which is why Price and other fire officials are asking for less money.
There are residents who don't agree with the fire levy.
"I don't know why someone would vote against it," Price said. "I had one gentleman tell me that he wasn't voting for the fire levy because Beckley Fire Department doesn't come out of town. I know that isn't true."
Price says most fire departments receive about $40,000 per year from the state. The state also requires that departments have workers' compensation and insurance.
A fire truck costs $300,000.
Last year, the Beaver Fire Department spent $60,000 on bills, meaning they had to come up with $20,000, Price said.
"The years of having to scrape by on a wing and a prayer has put these departments in a bad situation," Price said. "Now they're starting to get their heads above water. They just need to pull themselves up completely and take a deep breath. We can't do that alone."