Title
Funding Option for the Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD) for FY26
Action
ACTION:
Receive Information regarding funding option and potential tax rate for the Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD) in the Charlotte Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).
Staff Contact: Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, P.E., Director, Land Use & Environmental Services Agency
Presentation: Yes
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Since 2012, several volunteer fire departments in the extra territorial jurisdictions of the City of Charlotte and the towns have been funded through a fire service district tax.
In 2013, Mecklenburg County levied a Fire Protection Service District (FPSD) tax to pay for fire services in the towns and unincorporated area. A total of five service districts were created to service the extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs) left in the County. The ETJs include geography outside the four towns (Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville and Mint Hill) and the City of Charlotte. These districts were created to fund the cost of providing fire protection services to all residents in the service district, with the cost burden carried by all service district property owners, through the fire protection service district.
This briefing provides the Board of County Commissioners with the requests received from the VFDs in the Charlotte ETJ and a recommended option with a corresponding tax rate.
Feedback received by the staff would inform the proposed tax rate that will be included in the County Manager budget proposal to the BOCC.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
N/A
POLICY IMPACT:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Will be presented as part of the County Manager Budget Proposal.