South Jacksonville wants to set up a rural fire protection district.
Currently, the South Jacksonville fire department serves village residents and businesses, and rural customers are on a subscription service. It runs $100 a year.
But, village fire chief Rich Evans junior says funding is too volatile, and his department needs a revenue source that is more consistent.
Evans says this idea is not new. But, it’s needed more now than ever.
He says the equipment is aging out and is too expensive to replace with the current tax base. And, he says money is needed to hire part time help to handle calls.
Evans says the proposed district stretches beyond the outskirts of the village.
The proposed district would be the village of South Jacksonville, the Lynnville area to the Scott County line, south of old route 36 to the Woodson fire protection district.
The Jacksonville Journal Courier reports the tax extension base would be $475-thousand.
The next step is to convince the courts, and the electorate to place the referendum on the ballot next year.
A hearing is planned Monday morning at 10 before Judge Chris Reif. The hearing is open to the public, particularly those who live within the proposed district’s limits.