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BK -00028 PG -0265 <br />commercial auto increased with the addition of higher valued units. The Board of <br />Directors increased the amount of coverage on their commercial umbrella. The other <br />major expense was for a grant match. The department is applying for a federal grant and <br />a state grant to replace aging SCBA equipment. Their goal is to replace 24 SCBA packs. <br />The district's tax base grew about $4,043,300 over last year. Their fund balances dropped <br />by $9,900 compared to 2015. The project fire tax rate for 2016 - 2017 will be $0.097 <br />compared to the current year rate of $0.091. The Fire Advisory Board voiced its concern <br />regarding the rapid growth of the budget and the impact it has on the fire tax rate. Since <br />2013 - 2014, the department's budget has increased from $286,341 to this year's request <br />of $370,876. This is almost a 30% increase in funding, resulting in the fire tax rate <br />increasing from $0.081 in 2013 — 2014, to a projected rate of $0.097 for 2016 - 2017. In <br />discussion with representatives from the Carolina Race Fire Department's Board of <br />Directors, the Fire Advisory Board was assured that the Carolina Trace community is <br />aware of the changes and their impact on the tax rate for fire protection. The Fire <br />Advisory Board agrees that improvements have been made over the past few years, but <br />still have reservations about the amount of budget increases every year. Based on the <br />conversations with the representative from the Carolina Trace Fire Department Board of <br />Directors, the Fire Advisory Board voted to recommend the budget request as presented. <br />Deep River Fire Department — Station 4 <br />Deep River Fire Department has a budget request of $299,587. The 2016 — 2017 budget <br />request is an increase of $10,013 over current year. The majority of the increase was in <br />personnel cost; a cost of living pay increase for the paid staff. The biggest increase was <br />for the purchase of a group life insurance policy for their members. The cost of fleet <br />maintenance increased, the department has one of the oldest fleets in the county. The fire <br />district's tax base grew by $8,142, 600. However, the fund balance decreased by $14,000. <br />The projected tax rate for the upcoming year would be $0.131. The Fire Advisory Board <br />met with Charles Mitchell, President of the Board and Larry Kelly, the Fire Chief with <br />Deep River Fire Department. The Board of Directors of Deep River Fire Department has <br />met and they do not want to see an increase in the fire tax for 2016 - 2017. President <br />Mitchell and Chief Kelly were instructed by their board to take the steps necessary to cut <br />the budget in order to maintain the current tax rate. The current tax rate is $0.125. The <br />department will need to cut $14,000 out of the budget. The Fire Advisory Board is <br />concerned that the department could be placing itself in a marginal position with these <br />cuts. We applaud their desire to keep the tax rate from increasing. After discussions with <br />the President and Chief, the Fire Advisory Board agreed to the department's request to <br />make the required cuts. The Fire Advisory Board recommends the budget request be <br />approved as adjusted by the Deep River Fire Department. <br />During the discussions with Chief Kelly, it would appear that there is a strong possibility <br />that the Deep River Fire District could lose tax base in the coming year. It is their <br />understanding that the City of Sanford is looking at annexing several large parcels along <br />and around Clyde Rhyne Road. Currently the parcels are undeveloped. However, any <br />development would obviously increase the tax base. Deep River has the second smallest <br />3 <br />