BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
LAKE BUTLER — The Union County Board of County Commissioners is looking at a couple of options to raise funds to provide for the cost of Emergency Medical Services and the Union County Fire Department. Plans for the two services include, if funds can be found, hiring some full-time paid firefighters to make the department more responsive and also provide insurance rate advantage to residents.
Two years ago the commission put a one-cent sales tax increase on the ballot to allow the voters to decide if they would agree with it – with the money to be earmarked for emergency services.
The referendum was approved by the voters by more than 60%, but the matter fell victim to the lack of communication between the state (who changed the laws on how the matter was to be handled) and local government (which had many office closures and employee issues during the first pandemic of COVID-19).
Now, everyone is on the same page and the board is preparing to discuss and vote on an ordinance that is the first step in putting the matter on the ballot for the mid-term election in November. This must be done due to state regulations requiring that an ordinance be approved and the referendum placed on the ballot at least 120 days prior to the date of the election. There are other requirements that must be met as well. Other new requirements include an audit of how the money will be used and opportunities for input from the community.
“The commissioners decided to let the citizens decide the matter,” said County Coordinator Jimmy Williams.
The county is getting ready to implement the measure, but whether or not it will actually be done remains to be seen. Commissions and Williams are also looking at another way to raise the funds – a special assessment on commercial properties, a practice that was done away with more than a decade ago. At a January workshop tabled the issue of the assessment until Williams could gather information on how much the assessment would raise for the departments and he will report back to them at their next meeting.
It’s a numbers game and, at this time, no one really knows which way the county will decide. Commissioners are just “covering all the bases” so they can make an informed decision on which option to pursue. Either way, the citizens will benefit from improved and enhanced services that can help them to assure their quality of life and safety.
