Published: July 19, 2006 03:34 pm      

Fire chief says 1-cent sales tax critical to Fire Department

EDMOND — The primary election ballot on Tuesday will contain the names of numerous candidates seeking the opportunity to serve their communities. An equally important question will be on the ballot for the Edmond residents. Voters will decide whether or not to renew a 1-cent local sales tax for another 10-year period. This is not a new tax, but the continuation of an existing 1-cent tax that has provided direct local services for the past 30 years.

It has been asked, “Why does the city collect sales tax?” and “What do we get for our money?” Local city governments are funded in various ways. For example there is the fee concept — pay as you go — that works well on certain goods or commodities such as water rates per 1,000 gallons or kilowatt-hours of electricity used.

Local income taxes are sometimes collected to pay for local city services, but not generally in Oklahoma. Some communities assess property taxes to pay for city services. The Edmond community voted long ago that its primary funding mechanism to provide certain city services would come through the collection of a sales tax on goods and products sold in the community.

These include services thought by the community to be essential to the overall quality of life and to which all residents and guests of the community are entitled. For example, if I wanted to take my wife to dinner in Edmond, it would be silly to reach the end of my driveway and pay a toll (pay as you go) to access the streets in my subdivision and then pay another toll to access the arterial roads that lead to the restaurant.

The same is true of access to local public safety services for all residents within the community. This includes fire, police, 9-1-1 call center and emergency management services. The local sales tax revenue provides services for the collective good and quality of life for all residents within the community.

My role, as fire chief, is to provide adequate staffing and the best emergency delivery system possible within the resources allotted to the Fire Department. Some of the services provided by your Fire Department include quality public safety education and fire prevention programs, structural and wild land fire fighting, paramedic emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, technical rescue of trapped or endangered persons and the list goes on. We operate from five fire stations providing 24/7 services and protect about 100 square miles.

The 1-cent sales tax under consideration for renewal represents more than 20 percent of the annual Fire Department budget.

The elimination of the one penny will undoubtedly result in significant reductions of service including the closing of one to two fire stations. It will require layoffs of up to 30 firefighters. In addition, many department programs such as paramedic, hazardous materials response and technical rescue would be endangered.

Another impact of a reduction in the firefighting force to be considered is a financial one. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) rates communities on firefighting capability.

The levels of risk to insurers and premium rates for property owners are often based on this classification rating. Reducing the fire fighting force will likely result in higher insurance premiums to both residential and commercial property owners within Edmond.

It is up to the voters in a community to determine the level of funding provided for and services received from local city government.

I have not meant to paint a gloomy picture, but to present the facts as I see them. My desire is for residents to make informed decisions at the ballot box on Tuesday. I encourage everyone to vote and participate in your local civic opportunities.

(Gil Harryman is the chief of the Edmond Fire Department.)