Unaka residents reluctantly support fire tax
By Gabby Hudson Staff Writer

Residents of the Unaka community met at the community center to get answers to questions and to express their feelings.

The Cherokee County Commissioners, Jonathan Dickey, David Sumpter and Dana Jones along with Cheokree County Fire Marshall W.C. King and County Manager David Badger, met with about 50 residents of the Unaka Community on Tuesday evening May 15.

Dickey opened the meeting stating that they were there to try and gage how the community felt about the proposed fire tax. He told the crowd that if they wanted to speak and express their support or concerns that there was a signup sheet or they could take part in the public imput portion of the meeting.

Residents hesatated in speeking. Dickey asked if they had anything they wanted to say? The group simply wanted to know what it was going to cost them and how the money would be used.

Unaka Volunteer Fire Department Administrative Secretary Frankie McMillan reported on the funds currently provided by the county and the annual cost of running the fire department.

The county allots $2,000 for the station a year, she said.The only real way to raise money for the stationi is through a benifet held every three years.

McMillan said that the reason the department only held the benefit every three years is because the same people would come and department members did not feel that it was fair to ask the same few people to give every year. This year the department raised $7,168 to cover expences until the next benfet in three years.

Expenses consist of: electric bill of $510.20, fuel for the trucks - $552.71, oxygen - $164.55, heating propane - $639.44 and repair to trucks - $780.0, she said.

"Already this year we went out on a call and the brakes went out on the truck," McMillan said. "The cost of the repair was $1,127.85.

Other expenses the station generates include: air packs hydrostated and flow testing $50.00, three sets of turn-out gear $4,049.56, repair to radios and pagers $144.00, pagers (2) $948 and three radios $2,981.00.

McMillan said that a camper shell/cover was purchased at a cost of $726.53.

"All of our trucks have been donated to the station," McMillan said. "The Murphy Power Board donated a pick-up truck that we use as a first responder truck. In order to keep the equipment dry we needed the camper top."

This year the station's expenses totaled $11,528.91 and we are only in May, she said.

Will Hayes, chief of Unaka Fire Department, listed the trucks owned by the fire department.

2451-came from Murphy FD, 2461- Warren FD, 2462- Valley Town FD, brush truck US Forest Service.

"I have been here a long time and we have never been extravagent in spending," Hayes said.

When asked what the tax might cost, Badger explained that if a home and property were taxed on $100,000 and the fire tax was set at five cents on $1,000 it would cost $50 a year or about $4.17 a month.

If the tax is set at five-cents it would generate just under $31,000 for the fire department. "The fire tax money raised for Unaka would stay in Uanka," Badger said.

"We are concerned about the fire tax, and what it will cost us," Inez Anders said. "My husband works at Wal-Mart and we are on a fixed income and (at times) have trouble paying for our percriptions."

Badger said that the commissioners were the only ones who could set the tax rate and that it would, if passed, be set at only what the department would need. The county has 10 districts and the tax rate vares from four to seven cents.

Commissioner Dana Jones said that depending on the amount budgeted by the station, the tax rate could be set at five cents for the first year and could be lowered the next depending on the need.

Volunteer Firefighter Ralph Hudson told commissioners that he was for the fire tax and that the tax was needed to update aging equipment and to supply current turnout gear.