Mar. 8—Fire departments in Raleigh County are considering using fire levy funds to build new substations and upgrade existing facilities if voters approve the new fire levy in the upcoming election.

The proposed fire levy will appear on the May 14 primary election ballot and represents a slight increase from the levy approved in 2020.

It’s projected to generate a total of $3.5 million a year and will go toward the county’s 14 fire departments — 13 volunteer fire departments and the Beckley Fire Department.

Each year, a set amount of the fire levy is divided evenly among the departments, while the remaining amount is distributed based on the assessed property values within each jurisdiction.

For the volunteer fire departments, Raleigh County Fire Coordinator Jason Whiting said the fire levy is a major source of funding.

“Emergency services across the board, police, fire and EMS, the calls have just continued to increase every year which require, for the fire departments, that requires more insurance, fuel, maintenance on the vehicles … and we just need the continued support of our communities,” Whiting said. “Through these levies we can provide better training for the departments and continue to buy new and improved equipment for the communities.”

Whiting, a retired firefighter with 27 years of experience, said the levy funds can go toward new fire trucks, equipment, building maintenance, training, utilities, insurance and other essentials spelled out in the levy.

At the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, where Whiting began his firefighting career, the fire levy recently paid for a new fire engine. The engine even has a decal on its side that reads, “Purchased with Levy Fund Thank You! Raleigh County Voters.”

If the new fire levy is passed in May, Whiting said the Beaver and Whitesville volunteer fire departments have spoken with him about wanting to use future levy funds to construct new substations in their area.

In addition, Whiting said the Rhodell Volunteer Fire Department is looking to add to its existing facility.

Raleigh County’s first fire levy was passed in 2012.

Whiting said the current fire levy generates about $3 million each year and will expire June 30, 2025.

If approved, the new fire levy will be in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030.

The proposed new rates are as follows: Class I — 3.50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation; Class II — 7.06 cents per $1,000; Class III and IV — 14.12 cents per $1,000.

The state constitution divides property into four classes:

—Class I property: Intangible personal property and certain personal property employed exclusively in agriculture, according to the West Virginia State Tax Department.

—Class II property: Owner-occupied residential property used exclusively for residential purposes and all farmland used for agricultural purposes by its owner or bona fide tenant.

—Class III property: All real and personal property outside a municipality (city/town limits) that is not taxed in Class I or II.

—Class IV property: All property inside a municipality (city/town limits) that is not taxed in Class I or II.

Whiting said the majority of Raleigh County taxpayers own assets that fall under Class III. He added that Class III property rates did increase by 2 cents.

Whiting said the increase will represent pennies on the dollars for taxpayers but will go a long way in covering increasing costs that everyone is experiencing.

“As homeowners, as taxpayers, we see it in our everyday life; all you got to do is just go to the grocery store and we realize everything’s going up,” he said.

Email: jmoore@register-herald.com