The establishment of a fire protection district by the Belfast Fire Department was a hot topic for the Grant County Quorum Court when they met April 19.
According to the Sheridan Headlight newspaper, the Belfast Fire Department’s Board of Directors recently voted to change their designation to a fire protection district. Previously, the department was a non-profit organization that sent out yearly dues but only about half the homeowners in the district would pay those dues.
As a fire protection district, the dues would be mandatory on property taxes due in October.
Grant County attorney Teresa Howell confirmed that under existing state law, the Quorum Court has no choice but to accept the wishes of the fire department’s board. That law has since been changed by the state legislature, but the changes do not take effect until later this year.
The newspaper reported that the quorum court approved the motion to establish the fire protection district.
