TERLTON, Okla. — A local volunteer fire department in Pawnee County said a sales tax that passed on Election Day could be life saving for rural residents.
The sales tax increase is minimal for shoppers — for every $100 you spend, you’ll pay an additional 75 cents. A small increase, but according to North 48 Volunteer Fire Chief Keith Buntin, an important one.
FOX23 talked to Buntin ahead of the election in October. He said not much has changed at his station since then.
“Big tanker still has the breaks out on it,” he said. “[Another truck], last Sunday on a grass fire, myself and my captain, we get halfway there. We don’t have transmission … it just went out on us.”
Buntin said it’s just another day of struggles for a volunteer fire department.
“If you had been here last night, you could have seen the two leaf blowers [that] tore apart totally. We lost two leaf blowers, which are about $700 apiece,” he explained.
His yearly budget from the Department of Agriculture and monthly fire dues from the community doesn’t cover part replacements for his tankers, Buntin said.
“We are waiting on parts if we can find them,” he explained.
He said the news tax could double or triple what he can spend a month. This could mean new breaks so their biggest tanker can go out on more calls or replacing the beat-up jackets firefighters have to use on calls.
“We are going to start with the safety of the guys, the gear,” he said. “Then start upgrading the equipment, maybe move up ten years in a truck.”
Buntin said he appreciates the community voting in favor of the sales tax.
“This is going to do all kinds of things for our department,” he said.
It will also help the department recruit more volunteers. Buntin said people sometimes struggle with wanting to volunteer when they see the old, beat-up equipment.
There are 12 other departments that will also get access to the money, but before he can spend of the funding from the sales tax, all purchases will have to be approved by the Pawnee County Commission. He said they will start having access to the money in May of 2023.
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