Buncombe County is exploring the creation of a single fire district tax rate to ensure all residents have access to a basic, consistent level of fire protection and to create a more equitable, sustainable way to fund fire services.
Buncombe County does not operate its own countywide fire department. Instead, it contracts with and funds fire protection through fire service districts and works with local fire departments (independent fire districts/departments that are governed by their respective boards) to provide fire protection services in the unincorporated areas of the county. Currently, each district proposes the funding it needs, and the Board of Commissioners reviews and approves those rates as part of the annual county budget. The County is responsible for ensuring residents have access to fire protection by collecting and distributing fire district tax revenue and overseeing how those funds are used, while local fire departments deliver the day-to-day emergency response and operations.
By exploring a single tax rate fire district, the County looks to address immediate and long-term fire protection needs, support future growth and population shifts, and meet nationally recognized staffing and response standards. The multi-year transition plan is focused on ensuring the county’s fire protection system is funded in a way that supports achieving response standards over time…