The Sebastian County Quorum Court voted in September to convert four rural volunteer fire departments into one fire protection district.
County Judge David Hudson has been working with Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue over the past two years to convert the non-profit fire organizations into a fire protection district. “The primary goal and motivation for the fire department to convert to a fire protection district is to have the cost of operating the fire department assessed, levied and collected by the County Tax Collector on County Real Estate Tax Statements,” stated Judge Hudson.
Ordinance 2020-14 was passed by the Sebastian County Quorum Court on September 22, 2020. The ordinance converts the following rural fire departments into a fire district: Big Creek, Riverdale, Milltown-Washburn and Greenwood Rural.
Judge Hudson will set a time and place for a meeting to appoint members of the fire district’s Board of Commissioners.
Those elected Board of Commissioners will in turn appoint three assessors to assess the annual benefits, which will accrue to the real property within the district from the providing of fire protection services.
Assessments following the implementation of the fire district will set forth a levy to be added to all property owners within those districts.
Ordinance 2020-14 changes the way fire dues are paid. Once voluntary, now, those levies must be paid before property owners can pay their taxes or be charged a 10% penalty.
For more information on the Fire Protection District Ordinance, you can access the September 2020 Sebastian County Quorum Court documents HERE.
