Residents Working to Dissolve Fire District
Some residents on Long Island have had enough of their fire district (from Newsday.com via Firehouse.com).
A group of Gordon Heights Fire District residents, exasperated at paying Long Island's highest fire taxes, have begun circulating a petition to dissolve the district - a move experts called unprecedented in New York State....
While Gordon Heights fire officials called the push for dissolution rash, petitioners say average fire tax bills of $1,344 - nearly four times higher than one neighboring district - demand a radical solution.
...
Gordon Heights is a small, predominantly black neighborhood nestled between Coram, Middle Island and Yaphank. Its fire department, which protects fewer than 900 homes, has a $1.48-million budget, a fleet of 20 vehicles, a 24-hour emergency medical staff and three secretaries.
$1,344 for a fire tax bill - Holy Smokes! I guess if I was paying that much I would be upset too. The bill my dad pays to the fire district he lives in is probably around $25 per year.
I'm not sure that dissolving the fire district is the answer, but certainly working with the district board to reduce the fire tax would be appropriate.
