Tryon proposes 1.5-cent fire tax increase for 2015-2016

Published 10:00 pm Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 16

There are also no proposals to increase the water and sewer rates next fiscal year.

Tryon commissioners have discussed the upcoming budget through several work sessions and plan to have a public hearing next Tuesday, June 16 during council’s regular meeting. Commissioners will not adopt the budget during the meeting on Tuesday, and will likely call a special meeting to adopt the budget.

Highlights for the new budget include a new community development position and a new public works position. The town has already hired Paula Kempton to serve as the community development director, which began on June 1.

The new public works position costs will be split between the street department and the water/sewer department.

The town originally requested a three-cent increase for its fire department, but Polk County has indicated it will only grant a 1.5-cent increase. Commissioners plan to adopt the county’s budget, including fire tax rates during its meeting on Monday, June 15.

Tryon’s current fire tax rate is 4.8 cents per $100 of property valuation. If the 1.5-cent increase is approved by the county and town, Tryon fire service residents will pay 6.3 cents per $100 of property valuation.

Tryon Town Manager and Fire Chief Joey Davis said the fire department has not had a fire tax increase since the late 1990s. In the 1990s, the Tryon Fire Department ran approximately 150 calls per year. Currently, the fire department averages 1,000 calls per year for service with the same approximate $200,000 budget.

The fire department wants to accomplish three projects, which could have been accomplished with a three-cent increase in taxes.

Tryon fire wants to add additional personnel, according to Davis. Davis said both Columbus and Saluda have multiple full-time personnel while Tryon has functioned for many years with only a full-time paid chief and part-time personnel. Columbus is the busiest department in the county, Tryon is the second busiest in the county and Saluda is the third busiest department in the county.

Tryon fire also wants to replace its 1986 fire truck, which is reaching 30 years of service and improve the fire station to add sleeping quarters and a possible bay expansion due to the amount of apparatus and equipment being housed, according to Davis.

A one-cent increase in fire tax would generate approximately $32,000 for the fire department. Each improvement the fire department wants to include (employee, fire truck, fire station expansion) would cost approximately one cent in taxes, or approximately $30,000 per year to implement.

The fire department and Tryon Fire Tax Commission held a public meeting in April and approved up to a four-cent fire tax increase. Tryon Town Council met in May and approved a three-cent fire tax increase.

The town will approve the same fire tax increase as the county approves. County commissioners adopt fire tax rates for county residents who receive town fire services.

The town’s public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. at the Tryon Fire Department. The new fiscal year begins July 1 with the town required to adopt the budget and tax levy by June 30.