Fire opt-out on June 2 ballot

Voters in a large swath of Custer County will head to the polls June 2 to decide if they want to supply more money to local volunteer fire departments that are not already part of a taxing district.
The vote will affect voters in every corner of the county, save for those located within the boundaries of the Battle Creek Fire District and the Fairburn Fire District, both of which already have formed their own taxing jurisdictions to collect their own revenue  apart from the county levy.
The rest of the county is moving toward forming districts—the Custer Fire Advisory Board and Custer County Commission have both openly stated this opt-out would be a bridge to allow time to form districts—but local fire departments say more money is needed in the interim.
Hamstrung by aging equipment, rising costs and dwindling budgets, county fire departments say they hope voters will see fit to pay more in taxes to ensure fire departments keep their doors open.
The departments in Custer, Folsom, Pringle, Argyle, Custer Highlands and Buffalo Gap would all receive additional funding if the opt-out is approved by voters.
The current fire levy, assessed 2025 and payable in 2026 as being .199, generating $348,913 in tax revenue. However, of that money some goes to fixed costs, meaning there is around $292,000 distributed between the departments.
Presently, it is estimated a $400,000 property would pay around $79 for the fire fund levy per year. If approved, the combined levy would be .3815—which would raise an estimated $668,913 in funds and cost $150 annually in property taxes on a $400,000 home.
Those additional funds would be split between the six non-district departments, with Custer receiving 55 percent of the money, and the other five departments receiving 9 percent. That amounts to $176,000 for the Custer Volunteer Fire Department, and $28,800 for the remaining departments.
Custer would receive the bulk of the money because it receives the most calls, has the largest protection area and protects the largest swath of assessed value in the county between the City of Custer and its protection area outside of the city.
If the money were divided by percentage of the tax base, the Custer department would receive 72 percent of the money, with it generally acknowledged Custer’s department has long subsidized the other departments.
It is important to note a vote for the opt-out means voting in favor of the tax increase. At a previous meeting of the Custer County Commission it was expressed some county residents thought voting for the opt-out meant vote to “opt-out of the tax increase.”
Fire officials have said the average age of equipment for the departments included 22 years for wildland brush trucks, 32 years for structure trucks and 26 years for water tenders.
Even used smaller brush trucks cost around  $150,000 to $175,000, while larger structure trucks run around $800,000. And with some departments operating on a budget of around $30,000, replacing older vehicles is next to impossible. If you start with a vehicle that is 20 years old and have the ideal fleet of four vehicles, even getting a new one every five years means trucks are pushing 50 years old by the time the cycle comes back around.
Firefighters also point to the cost of gear, as it is $5,000 to $6,000 for fire protection gear for one firefighter, while a breathing apparatus is around the same cost. It can be as much as $10,000 to outfit a structure-certified firefighter. Some departments are even wearing outdated equipment. Some of the departments’ current annual budget is under $30,000.
If the opt-out is approved, each fire department will have to do a line item budget to report how the extra money will be spent and will not be allowed to stockpile the money. It could be used on operations or capital expenses.
Fire officials have warned if things continue the way they are fire departments will likely start closing their doors. It was said if that happens, insurance rates will raise much more than the additional money per year sought through the opt-out.
There are two opportunities to learn more about the opt-out request and ask questions regarding them. The first is Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the Argyle Fire Hall, and the second is May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Custer County Courthouse Annex Pine Room.