wilkes

Now don't complain about 3 cents with a new 150 thousand or more fire truck all those half million dollar houses those 85 thousand dollar suv running around . Your credit card can take the hit don't worry just swipe it and pay 30 dollars instead of 25

concur,give it to them.heavily monitored by an outsourced/out of couny auditor.to assure no county political pressures.just my 2 cents.

im 100% in favor.

May be difficult to attend the upcoming meeting with the county commissioners because of the covid virus.
To voice your opinion everyone should contact the county manager and the county commissioners either for or against the increase.
Everyone has a right to their opinion.
it is wrong to increase taxes 170,000 in one year without notifying the public who will be paying. All other fire departments maintained their rate this year according to the newspaper.

Green and whom ever else it may concern,
If you are against or in favor of the proposed fire tax increase for the Millers Creek Fire Dept. the county Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing giving those interested in doing so a chance to address the Board about the proposed increase.
If you don't go speak your mind then you will have no one to blame but yourself.

Joseph, good point. I know a lot of people who are in the same situation as you described your father's situation. I feel their pain.

To Cowboy, you are incorrect. The county commissioners CAN deny a tax increase but most likely will not deny a increase for political reasons unless there is enough public outcry. The annual meeting is not where the tax increase was voted on as I was there. The board of directors of the fire department approved the increase at a board meeting.

Tell that to people who live on a fixed budget and do without some things just to be able to get other things they need . When you pinch Penney's to try and make ends meet that extra 30 dollars would be hard to get along without Seniors like my dad who can't afford his meds lucky for him the VA. provides them or he would be in bad shape many people aren't so lucky. Maybe the FD should do like the old days and have a fund raiser or better yet do like everyone else and tighten up. You can't just keep coming back to the taxpayer with your hand out as one of these days there wont be any thing to give.

Camo,
I don't think the county Board of Commissioners can deny MCFD's rate increase, the reason being MCFD is a corporation with its own elected Board of Directors, MCFD has a contract with the County to provide fire / rescue and medical services for its district, in exchange the county agrees to collect tax revenue on behalf of MCFD and then distribute it back to MCFD. If anyone wanted to complain or speak out against the rate increase, the time to do it would have been at the annual meeting of the FD when it was proposed and voted on.

Instead of beating a dead horse, call the county commissioners and demand that they not grant MCFD a tax increase. It's time to hold the line on spending. MCFD has a huge tax base. MCFD needs to budget "what they need" not "what they want".

It is a bad time to be wanting to increase spending. Even the usual tax increasing teachers have not hit up for an increase. We may not even get to have the annual fire truck parade this year,

Green,
Sorry but I don't see an extra $30.00 per $100,00.00 per year as the financial burden you're making it out to be.
If you want to know how MCFD is spending your money there is a better way to find out than complaining on GoWilkes, simply go by the FD and ask for a copy of the budget report.

Imagine if the school system was asking for a tax increase

A 3 cent increase will get Millers Creek Fire Department $170,000.00 or more EXTRA tax money. they got $396,491.00 last year
If they really need that more money this year something is wrong. Wilkes County Financial report that Cowboyfan posted shows of all Fire Tax money collected Millers Creek receives more than any other department in Wilkes County> where is it being spent_ poor management?

It is still a 30.00 per year increase based on 100,000 value.
Obviously you have no clue that some families cannot afford that much extra expense. 3 cents may not sound like much but it adds up.
Some of the MC firemen think the increase is to much. They see where money is spent that is unnecessary and wasted They dont want to say anything because of possible repercussions.

Green,
If a person owns a $100,000.00 worth of property in MC they will pay an extra $2.50 per month in taxes or $30.00 per year for a total of $100.00 in fire tax.

Just because they CAN collect up to 15 cents does not justify raising taxes. The fire chief or management should take charge, do the right thing and tighten up on expenses. The county is clamping down on its expenses the citizens who are on a fixed income are having to watch their expenses. Put it into perspective, raising fire tax from 7 to 10 cents would be the same as getting a raise in hourly pay from 7.00 per hour to 10.00 per hour, [think about that, wouldn't that be nice] who can afford a 40% tax increase?

I still that in 5 years or less if not incorporated Wilkesboro will take 16 N to BOONE Trail.

It was tried before and did not pass.

it is time to incorporate our little community.

greenvet the tax has a statutory limit of 15 cents per hundred per year. Majority of the residents in the district receive enough discount on their homeowners insurance to offset at least part, of not all, of the fire tax