GORDONVILLE-AREA LANDOWNERS FILE PETITION FOR A FIRE DISTRICT

GORDONVILLE - Residents of the 120-square-mile area of Cape Girardeau County served by the Gordonville Municipal Fire Department are seeking to organize a tax-supported district to upgrade their fire protection service.

The proposed Gordonville Fire Protection District would be similar to other tax-supported, rural fire districts that have been created in the county since the 1970s.

Only two of the seven rural fire departments in the county have not organized as a tax-supported fire district: Gordonville and Whitewater. The Millersville Fire District is a non-taxing fire district at this time.

In addition to the rural area, the new fire district would also provide fire protection for the communities of Gordonville, Tilset and Dutchtown, and several residential subdivisions, including Grandview Acres on Highway 25, and Hillcrest Manor, and Parkwood Lakes Estates Mobile Home Court, both located on Route K, east of Gordonville.

Petitions with the names of about 118 residents who live in the area now served by the Gordonville Fire Department were filed Feb. 1 with the circuit clerk's office at Jackson.

The petition asks for a June election to create the fire district and elect a three-member board of directors that would be authorized to set a tax levy of up to 30 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Circuit Judge A.J. Seier has set a hearing on the petition for March 4 in Cape Girardeau.

"What it all boils down to is better fire protection and safety for those of us who live in this area, and, over a period a time, lower fire insurance premiums on our property," said Roger English of Gordonville.

"Right now, the fire protection service for this area is provided at a great expense by the Gordonville Municipal Fire Department. About 65 percent of the households in the area served by the fire department make annual $30 donations to help operate the fire department, but 35 percent pay nothing for their fire protection service.

"We're not getting enough income to maintain our current level of fire protection, much less upgrade the service. Each year, we receive about $27,000 in donations. Our operating expenses range from $28,000 to $30,000. We have worn-out fire engines and firefighting equipment that needs to be replaced. To upgrade the fire department so we can serve the growing population and residential areas in this area, we must have a dependable source of income. The only way to do this fairly is to organize the fire district so that everyone pays their share for fire protection."

Under the current donation method, English said the fire department spends countless man-hours and a large sum of money twice a year to mail the first and second letter requests for donations. "That's money we could be using for improving our fire protection service," he noted.

English said a tax-supported fire protection district will result in better fire protection, lower fire insurance premiums, and will help promote growth in the area.

"When people move into this area, they consider several factors; the quality of the school district, availability of medical services, fire protection/cost of fire insurance, police protection, roads and highways, and recreation. As you can see, fire protection rates pretty high," he noted.

According to documents filed with the court, an estimated 3,720 residents live within the proposed fire district boundary. The district's boundaries are the same as the area now served by the Gordonville Municipal Fire Department. Total assessed valuation in the proposed fire district is $18,057,850.

If the fire district is approved, English said the tax levy would raise an estimated $55,000 annually. He said the tax cost to most residents will be less than the cost of their annual fire insurance premium.

Currently, the Gordonville Fire Department has an ISO (Insurance Services Office) 9 rating for the area it serves. That means property owners in the area pay, on the average, $387 per year in fire insurance premium. "If we are able to upgrade our fire department to meet ISO specs, our rating could be lowered to an eight, and that would reduce most fire insurance premiums by another $100," English said. "The fire district tax levy would more than be offset by the lower fire insurance premiums."

According to figures from the county assessor's office, agricultural land is now assessed at 12 percent of its actual value, residential property, 19 percent, and commercial property, 33 percent of its assessed value. Using those figures, English said the tax on a parcel of farmland worth $50,000 would be $18 a year. On a house and two acres of land valued at $50,000, the tax would be $28.50 per year. For a commercial building or property valued at $50,000, the tax would be $49.50 per year.

If voters approve the creation of the fire district in June, the board of directors will hold a public meeting in September to set the first budget and the tax levy. The earliest the fire district could expect to receive tax revenues from the levy would be in December 1994.

Each year, the board would meet to establish the tax rate, based on budget needs. "The tax rate can be adjusted up or down, but cannot be raised above the 30-cent limit without a vote of the people," English said.

The Gordonville Fire Department was one of the first rural fire departments created in Cape Girardeau County. It has about 30 trained firefighters.

The department's aging fleet of firefighting equipment includes:

- A 1979 International, locally constructed tanker truck, with 1,800 gallon tank and 500 gallon-per-minute portable pump.

- A 1967 American LaFrance, 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper fire engine, with 450 gallon water tank (donated by the Cape Girardeau Fire Department).

- A 1951 International/Central, 750 gallon-per-minute pumper fire engine, with 800 gallon water tank.

- A 1962 Chevrolet, locally constructed water tank truck with 1,100 gallon water tank. The truck is not in service at this time, pending repairs.

- A 1964 Ford, locally constructed tanker truck with 400 gallons per minute pump and 900 gallon water tank.

- A 1969 Chevrolet, one-ton pickup truck, with four-wheel drive, equipped with a 350 gallon-per-minute pump and 180 gallon water tank. The vehicle is used as a brush and grass fire truck.