PRINT AND SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP SUPPORT YOUR FIRE/RESCUE SERVICES
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS….
Please call our office at 304-586-5370, option 8. We will be glad to discuss it with you.
The Fire & Rescue Stations in Putnam County are asking for public support to ensure the best protection of life and property that we can provide to our residents and businesses.
To make sure we continue offering the best service we can, the Departments and Firefighters in this county need your support. Each year, we take on financial increases to operate. Expenses for insurance, Worker’s Compensation, utilities, maintenance and repair, plus other costs continue to rise at typically 2-3%+ every year. The fleet of apparatus that protect you, have many fire engines approaching or over twenty years old. To replace a fire engine today, cost well more than $350,000 with no equipment included.
An intense review of the ordinance has prompted a few new amendments that make the ordinance impartial to both residential property and non-residential property regarding the total size for the parcel and the fee assigned. We examined and compared ordinances in other West Virginia counties. The amendments will not only allow more comparable fees and definitions but will also increase the amount of revenue generated to help continue protecting your life and property into the future. The last time fees were addressed was in 2013, and costs continue to rise each year.
Proposed Changes to the Fire Fee Ordinance:
- In the original ordinance, the billable classification of properties was “Residential” & “Commercial”. This created questionable exemption for other classifications identified by the County Assessor. With this amendment, we will acknowledge “Residential” and “Non-Residential” so there is not a gap for certain classifications to be missed.
- Definition of total square footage will include all buildings identified and acknowledged by the County Assessor.
- Permits the Fire Board to add a 10% late fee on the entire balance owed to the Fire Board, instead of solely the current year.
- Identification changes from “Fire Fee” to “Fire & Rescue Fee” to help residents of Putnam County realize that the Departments in our county serve the county in many other emergency calls includes motor vehicle collisions, ATV wrecks, brush fires, power lines down, gas leaks, Caron Monoxide (CO) or gas smells, and much more.
A sample of the amended fee structure is as follows:
Residential:
| Total Square Footage for the parcel | Current Rate | Proposed Rate | Yearly Difference | Average increase per Month |
| 0 – 999 sq. ft. | $37.50 | $ 35.00 | $ -2.50 | |
| 1000 – 1999 sq. ft. | $37.50 | $ 40.00 | $ 2.50 | .21 cents |
| 2000 – 2999 sq. ft. | $37.50 – $45 | $ 50.00 | $12.50 (2000-2499 sq.ft.) or $5 (2500-2999 sq.ft.) |
$ 1.04 or .42 cents |
| 3000 – 3999 sq. ft. | $45 | $60.00 | $15.00 | $ 1.25 |
| 4000 – 4999 sq. ft. | $45 | $70.00 | $25.00 | $ 2.08 |
| For each additional 1000 sq. ft. the fee increases $10 up to a maximum of 10,000 total sq. ft. | ||||
| 10,000+ | $45 | $130 | $85 | $ 7.08 |
Commercial:
| Total Square Footage for the parcel | Current Rate | Proposed Rate | Yearly Difference | Average increase per Month |
| 0 – 999 sq. ft. | $75 | $ 80 | $5 | .42 cents |
| 1000 – 1999 sq. ft. | $75 | $ 120 | $45 | $3.75 |
| 4000 – 4999 sq. ft. | $225 | $ 240 | $15 | $1.25 |
| 30,000 – 30,999 sq. ft. | $1125 | $1280 | $155 | $12.92 |
| 60,000 – 60,999 sq. ft. | $1125 | $2480 | $1355 | $112.92 |
| For each additional 1000 sq. ft. the fee increases $40 up to a maximum of 100,000 total sq. ft. | ||||
| 100,000+ | $1125 | $4080 | $2955 | $246.25 |