Fire district rejects extra cash

In each of the past two years, Lincoln County Rural Fire District has received 46 mills. They could have taken more but chose not to.

“It’s about taking what we need to run the fire department,” Gary Elmore, fire district treasurer, said. “We do not ask for the maximum amount under the way it is figured.”

This fiscal year, the district was permitted to receive 70.9 mills. Last fiscal year, it was allowed 70.17 mills. The 49.07 mills the district turned down kept a total of $268,713.89 in taxpayers’ pockets.

As far as records indicate, the district does not have a voter-approved limit. The increase in allowable mills followed an annexation of property near Bowen Hill inside the district.

“I’d never had a district say they did not want the full amount,” Lincoln County Clerk and Recorder Tammy Lauer said. “When Gary came in and said he didn’t need the full amount, I said I would have to look into that and see what his options were.”

In light of recent revelations of tax-receiving districts within Lincoln County exceeding their voter-approved limits, Lauer plans to be more proactive in discussing budgetary options with the volunteer boards that operate districts.

“Sometime between June and August, I plan to attend a lot of board meetings,” Lauer said.

Libby Volunteer Fire Department chief of 20 years, Tom Wood, was surprised by the jump in potential funding.

“It was such a shot for two years in a row,” Wood said. “We always watch the mills to be sure to stay within the budget. I don’t see how you can faithfully operate without budgetary oversight. It is very important to keep things going along smoothly.”

Wood explained that the district’s budget goes toward Lincoln County Rural Fire District. He described the area’s fire service as a three-legged stool — Libby Volunteer Fire Department, Libby Rural Fire Department and Libby Fire Department. Wood said Libby Volunteer Fire Department receives $8,000 each from the city of Libby and from Lincoln County Rural Fire District on an annual basis.

Libby Fire Department handles calls within the city limits. Libby Rural Fire Department handles calls that come within the district but outside of the city limits. Wood said there is quite a bit of personnel overlap between the departments.

“We can take a city truck out on a rural call, and we can take rural equipment on a city call,” Wood said. “And, as a courtesy, we have gone beyond the district limits since 1957. I’ve been out to Happy’s Inn.”