This website will present you with the facts about the dangers of a fire district, the increase in taxes and severe loss of liberty that come with it. But don't take anyone else's word for it. Take a few minutes to read the facts and examine the supporting documentation yourself. You'll see that the facts speak for themselves.
On Tuesday March 30, you will be asked to vote regarding the establishment of a MANDATORY TAX for a Vandiver/Sterrett Fire District. We do not want MANDATORY TAXES. Keep our Fire Department Dues Volunteer. Common sense tells us to vote NO to a forced tax!
If this is not stopped, a tax will be assessed on your property.1 Failure to pay the tax will result in a lien being placed against your property.2 Your property can be sold to pay this debt.3 This is happening in Shelby County where people voted for this same fire tax and now regret it.4
There is no ceiling on the tax. It can be raised 5% every year without your vote!6
In addition, if passed, the tax can also be raised by changing the way the tax can be applied. An 80 year old couple in North Shelby Fire District was charged $70.00 for a small broken down greenhouse, in addition to $230.00 for their house. Your property, workshop, woodsheds, barns, greenhouse, etc. in the future all can be taxed.7
1. The primary law governing Fire Districts in Alabama is State Law 99-245.
Click Here to see Page 1 of Act 99-245. Taxes levied by a Fire District are mandatory as established by Alabama State Law 99-245. See Act 99-245, Section 12(a), first sentence.
Click Here to See Mandatory Taxes Established By State Law
2. See the proposed Vandiver Fire District Governing document, Section A, last sentence of last paragraph. See also Section G. Section G of the Governing Document reads, 'Failure to pay charges' shall empower the Trustees to establish liens against the property"
Click Here to See Section G of the Governing Document See also the Alabama state law, Act 99-245, Section 12(a), last sentence.
Click Here to See Alabama State Law Establishing Mandatory Liens
3. See the proposed Vandiver Fire District Governing document, Sections F & G. Section G reads, "demands for payment will result in the establishment of foreclosure proceedings."
Click Here to See Sections F & G of the Governing Document See also the Alabama state law, Act 99-245, Section 12(a), last sentence.
Click Here to See Alabama State Law Establishing Foreclosure Sales
4. As an example in Shelby County, approximately 80 properties were put up for auction by the North Shelby County Fire District on Dec. 3, 2009. Without the owners being aware, these properties were published for sale in the Shelby County Reporter during the weeks of Nov. 11, 2009 through Nov. 25, 2009. Many of these people were not even aware that their name was in the paper and their property up for sale. Several homes were sold at the auction without any notice to the owner or their knowledge that this was happening. The cost to recover one's home could amount to thousands of dollars. Those who cannot come up with the funds lose their homes.
Click Here to See a Copy of The Homes up for Auction in the November 25, 2009 Shelby County Reporter
5. See Vandiver Fire District tax structure within the proposed Vandiver Fire District Governing Document, Sections A through C.
Click Here to See Sections A through C of the taxing fire district governing document
6. Fire Districts in Alabama are governed by state law, Act 99-245. See Act 99-245, Section 13(a), last sentence, for the authority given to Fire District Boards to increase your taxes by 5% each year without your vote.
Click Here to See Section 13a of Act 99-245
7. If an election is held and won, the smallest a fire district's power will ever be is on that same day it is voted in. All government entities grow, from fire districts to federal. They begin to take more and more power because the people have voted to give them the authority to do so, and these entities start taxing every little thing. It is happening at the North Shelby County Fire District and many other fire districts. Because the law and the fire district governing documents are silent about changing how the taxes are applied and what properties/structures the taxes are applied to, a fire district, therefore, can increase your taxes not only by increasing the actual rate, but by changing what portions of property the current tax rates apply to or by applying the current rates to structures that were not originally taxed under the plan that was originally voted in by the people. Fire District Boards can do this without your vote or your consent and are already doing so where fire districts have been established by an election. On March 30th, you can vote No to creating a fire district with this power and still keep fire protection through a voluntary dues fire department.
