Cleburne fire tax proposal headed to legislature

A Proposal from The Cleburne County Volunteer Fire Department Association calling for a  referendum for a fire tax is headed to the state Legislature.  The Cleburne County Commission agreed to support the measure last week on a 3 to 1 vote. 

The association, made up of members of the county’s 12 volunteer fire departments, proposed a fee — $50 for residential properties, $150 for commercial properties and $30 for agricultural properties 2,000 square feet and larger — be added to Cleburne County residents’ property tax bills. The money generated would be used to purchase one fire truck per year, fund equipment and training for the county’s 12 volunteer fire departments, and provide $15,000 for Cleburne County Search and Rescue’s operations. Each department would receive a fire truck, starting with the departments with the oldest trucks. Muscadine, Borden Springs, Macedonia and then Abernathy would be the first departments to receive trucks.

The proposal still must pass the state Legislature. If it does, Cleburne County residents would have the opportunity to vote on it in the next general election in November 2016.