Local volunteer fire departments are looking for ways to keep their trucks running until they start receiving their MSBU money in January. The county recently increased MSBU assessments on local homeowners to help pay for fire and first responder services. Those assessments are generally paid at the same time people pay their property taxes, so the fire departments won’t begin receiving the money until early next year. Steve Fling, representing the United Fire Fighters of Franklin County, said some fire departments won’t make it that long. The Lanark Village Fire Department is currently operating off of its savings, and they may be down to their last 5000 dollars. Mister Fling estimated that department would need at least 7000 dollars more to make it through the year. The fire departments would like to see the county institute a per call fee for the rest of this year to help cover expenses. That would cost the county about 30 thousand dollars, and provide about 6000 dollars per fire department. County commissioners, however, who are facing a tight budget of their own, say they want to see the numbers before they start handing out money. The commission asked that Mister Fling bring the ledgers for Franklin County’s volunteer fire departments to the next county commission meeting, that way the county can see which departments are in the deepest trouble and provide money accordingly. Even if the fire departments do make it to January, they are looking at major budget deficits next year because of increasing requirements for training and equipment. Alligator Point, for example, is looking at a 650 thousand dollar shortfall because it is required to purchase a ladder truck and build a new fire station to house it. Eastpoint’s shortfall could be near 100 thousand dollars because it needs a new truck and even St. George Island is looking at a 90 thousand dollar deficit to cover required maintenance certification and testing.
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