FOLSOM, La. - Voters will soon decide the fate of their fire protection.
A 10-year, 19.68 mill renewal is on the ballot March 27.
For now, St. Tammany Fire District 5, based in Folsom, is considerably leaner than a year ago.
Six part-timers are gone because that millage didn't pass last year. In fact, it never went to a vote.
The governing board of Fire District 5 mistakenly didn't ask for a millage renewal, so zero money was collected from that millage in 2010. That millage represented roughly 60 percent of the district's total operating budget.
"I'm very optimistic that the people will pass it," St. Tammany Fire District 5 Board Chairman Donald Hames told Eyewitness News Tuesday.
For now, the board is relying on a smaller millage and its savings to scrape by. Hames said, they expect to ask for a loan of less than $100,000 to make it through 2010. Getting the millage passed in time for 2011, Hames said was "critical."
"Without this millage, we would probably have to lay off all the fulltime people and rely on volunteers only," said Hames.
If that happens, Hames said, the district's fire rating will fall, costing homeowners more in fire insurance.
There are roughly 4,200 registered voters in St. Tammany Fire District 5, but low turnout is predicted for March 27.
If the millage passes, no money will be collected until 2011, and Hames said, it would allow the district to hire back their part-timers eventually.
If the millage doesn't pass, the board can put it on the ballot later this year and try again. "Any opportunity that we could to get it on the ballot, we would," Hames added.
Other proposals on the ballot on the Northshore: Mandeville voters will decide on a ten year half-cent sales tax, and Slidell voters will consider nine proposed changes to the city's Home Rule Charter.
