Raleigh Commission sets rates for fire levy, up for vote in 2024 election

Josephine Moore, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.
·2 min read

Dec. 5—The Raleigh County Commission has set the rates for a proposed fire levy, which is projected to generate a total of $3.5 million for the county's 14 fire departments.

The rates were approved at Tuesday's commission meeting and are as follows: Class I — 3.50 cents per $1,000; Class II — 7.06 cents; Class III and IV — 14.12 cents.

Raleigh County Commissioner Dave Tolliver said the funds from the fire levy, to be voted on by the public in 2024, are used to fund the county's 14 fire departments — 13 volunteer fire departments and the Beckley Fire Department.

There are some restrictions to what fire departments can use the levy funds for. Tolliver said fire departments running an EMS department cannot use the funds for EMS.

Fire levy funds are also distributed to the Raleigh Emergency Operations Center.

Tolliver said a set levy amount is divided evenly among the departments while the remaining amount is distributed based on the assessed property values within each jurisdiction.

Raleigh County Attorney Bill Roop said the rates have been in flux since they were established a little over a decade ago but have trended downward.

Tolliver said volunteer fire departments receive some funds from the state, roughly $40,000 yearly, but more is needed to cover the costs of new gear, equipment and vehicles.

Tolliver, a retired professional firefighter who spent more than 28 years with the Beckley department, said the cost of bunker gear has more than doubled in recent years, and the cost of new fire trucks has increased by several hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"A complete set of bunker gear back then was like $3,000; now you're looking at $6,000 ... and trucks in 2010 and 2012 was $500,000; now you're looking at $800,000," he said. "Everything is going up."

If Raleigh County voters approve the fire levy, it will take effect in 2025.

Other measures approved by commissioners include:

—New records clerk Jillian Butler for the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office.

—A bid for $51,963 to upgrade security cameras in the judicial annex. The project is being paid for through grants.

—A $25,000 grant for Hope in the Mountains to pay for one full-time staff member for one year.

—The State of West Virginia Natural Resources Appraisal Continuation for tax year 2024.

—A $15,000 grant to The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club.

—A $500 COLA (cost of living adjustment) for county employees.

—An AML (Abandoned Mine Land) drawdown for the Clear Fork Rail Trail in the amount of $177,949.50.

—A WV Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority Award in the amount of $16,896.

—A memo of understanding with Klöckner Pentaplast for facility expansion.

Email: jmoore@register-herald.com