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003 <br />For the most part, the budget increases were a result of addressing communication needs <br />or increase in the cost of operations. Of the seven departments, there are four departments <br />• that the tax rate will remain the same or decrease slightly. Of the remaining three, two are <br />seeing an increase due to decrease in collection rate or fund balance. The third is the <br />result of debt for bringing a sub - station on -line. <br />As has been our practice in reviewing the budgets and making recommendations, the Fire <br />Advisory Board uses the goals and objectives (see attached document) adopted in <br />October 2006 as our guiding principle. Attached to this cover letter is a spreadsheet <br />showing each department's budget recommendation approved unanimously by the Fire <br />Advisory Board. The spreadsheet also shows the fund balance used, the collection rate, <br />and the projected property value for each district. The budget requests include the cost to <br />fund the Lee County Fire Marshal's Office. The final line on the spreadsheet shows the <br />projected tax rate for each fire district. The calculation is based on the budget request, <br />less the fund balance, then adjustment for collection rate, and finally calculated based on <br />the projected property value for that fire district. <br />The following is a brief highlight of the budget request and an explanation of each <br />department's recommendation: <br />Tramway Fire Department Station 2 <br />The Tramway Fire Department's budget change is an increase of $6,988 or 2% over the <br />• current year. The biggest increase in the budget is the change in personnel. The <br />department added one fulltirne position last year. This year, the department is requesting <br />$16,000 for adding part-time personnel. The fire district saw a modest growth in property <br />base for FY 11/12. The Fire Advisory Board after much discussion did not feel there was <br />significant justification to increase the department's budget by $6,988. The Fire Advisory <br />Board voted unanimously to recommend leaving funding at the current amount of <br />$326,938. The flat budget would result in a rate decrease of two tenths or $0.078/$100. <br />Deep River Fire Department Station 4 <br />The Deep River Fire District opened their sub- station in April of this year. This is the <br />third of four sub - stations identified in 2006 to place approximately 98% of the county's <br />residents and businesses in a rated fire district. The tax base which includes the Raleigh <br />Executive Jetport continues to see a modest increase in the tax base. By planning for the <br />future, the department was able to save enough money to purchase a fire engine in order <br />to meet the requirements to operate the sub - station. The department saw a significant <br />decrease of $33,000 in the fiord balance from FY 10/11. This had a tremendous impact on <br />the department. Based on the request to submit a flat budget, the projected rate would <br />have been $.116. However, the Board of Directors of Deep River Fire Department elected <br />to slash their budget by $38,535 in order to maintain the current tax rate of $0.104. The <br />reduction of the budget causes concern for the Fire Advisory Board. The reduction in the <br />operating budget places the department on razor thin margins. The department had <br />• <br />