STEPHENS COUNTY_A sales tax hike in Stephens County could benefit one volunteer fire department more than others. Stephens County residents will vote on the .15 percent sales tax increase come November. The increase, if passed, would benefit 12 fire departments and three nutrition sites. But, even if it fails, the volunteer fire department of Velma is already counting on some more money coming in soon.
Back in June, Velma residents passed a .25 percent sales tax hike that will generate money for their fire department starting in October. A fire captain their said they've had an overwhelming amount of support in their time of need. He said if the county wide tax increase passes that will be rolled on top of what they are already to expecting to generate from their city tax increase that recently passed.
It's the kind of grassfire Velma Volunteer Fire Captain Monte Tadlock hopes he never has to face again.
"April 9, of 2009 everyone one remembers in Oklahoma. We had a tremendous wildfire in Velma that burned for three days and our fuel bill for the fire departments that helped and for ours was $17,000 for those three days."
Tadlock said a brand new fire engine can cost up to a million dollars, a price they can't afford. So he said many settle for used ones that no longer can efficiently do the job.
"You know mid 80's forestry trucks that came in, that we had to paint get in the shape cause they're never in the best of shape."
He said volunteer fire fighters aren't strangers to operating on a shoestring budget. But because many of them go even when they don't have the funds in the end they pay the price.
"One of our apparatus was a seizure of a fire department in Texas that did not make their payments on it and we bought it from the lender that had to repossess it."
Smith said the additional revenue would not only help with fuel and overhead costs, but would also make sure firefighters get the training and the safety equipment they need. He said safety is the only thing they ask for.
"The volunteers donate so much time that it's hard to balance with their regular paying job, a family life, just to keep everything going."
The county-wide tax, if passed, is expected to generate around $40,000 each year for each department and the nutrition center. That translates to about $25 extra a year per household in new sales taxes.
