Published: July 26, 2008 04:21 pm            

Vote yes

Editor:

The registered voters throughout Pittsburg County have the freedom and right to vote on July 29 at their precincts. A very important question has been placed on this ballot from a Resolution presented to the Pittsburg County Commissioners from a Committee of the Pittsburg County Firefighters Association.

This Resolution of “Question on the Ballot” requests that our fellow citizens give consideration and vote their decision on providing one-fourth of a penny Pittsburg County sales tax to assist in funding all fire departments in our county.

Fire departments operate as a service form of government, whether that is at the federal, state, city, or local level. A service is rendered but the cost to operate that service is funded seperately, whereas a private contractor would charge you all of his cost plus profit to operate his business. We, the voting citizens, decide this funding by our right to vote. The fire departments of Pittsburg County are asking you to consider a one-fourth of a penny county sales tax for funding. If anyone with Internet access would go to www.edarley.com, you can get an example of most equipment cost to operate a fire department. My $30 membership only buys just over six gallons of diesel for one truck one time for that year.

Not every person is a proponent of taxes, not even I. However, I am for improvements when it comes to protecting lives and property. Your local fire department and their first responders are giving of their time and efforts to be there for you. Let us allow them to have the equipment and protection that they deserve to protect the lives of our families and neighbors, and our neighborhoods.

The committee faced many hard decisions on preparing the best overall resolution to present to the voters of Pittsburg County. The final decision to divide the revenue evenly amongst the 27 fire departments would allow each department to fund an equal basic share of its needs. In 2007, each fire chief signed a mutual aid agreement covering all of Pittsburg County to provide assistance to another fire department if requested. This policy had already worked well during the wildland fires that was encountered the past few years when sometimes six to 10 fire departments would respond to one fire. A fire department, community, or taxpayer cannot be excluded from a countywide proposal. Each of us paid sales taxes in multiple jurisdictions since we are all residents of Pittsburg County and therefore each of us would receive representation and benefit.

There is not and never has been any “county funds” provided to the local fire departments from our county commissioners. The open records act allow anyone to verify that. All fire departments receive funding locally from their community area only. Matching grants from federal, state, and a few local organizations have provided some additional funding at times in the past. However, most operate as a “not-for-profit” organization.

Let us show that we support the Pittsburg County Fire Departments by voting yes on Tuesday.

Gary F. Brooks

        

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