If enacted, H4028 will provide rural counties greater flexibility in managing their budgets for fire protection services. By suspending the millage limitation, these counties could potentially eliminate fees currently imposed on residents to cover shortfalls in fire service funding. This change aims to create a more sustainable funding model for fire protection in areas where full-time fire departments are lacking, thereby enhancing community safety.
Summary
House Bill H4028 seeks to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by modifying the limitations on millage increases specifically for rural counties. The bill allows the governing body of a rural county to suspend the existing millage cap under Section 6-1-320 when necessary to fund fire protection districts. The motivation behind this legislation is to address the challenges faced by rural fire districts, which often struggle to provide adequate services due to financial constraints, necessitating the imposition of fees that can burden local residents.
Contention
While supporters argue that lifting the millage cap will improve fire service funding and reduce the financial burden on rural residents, there may be concerns regarding the potential for abuse of the new provisions. The bill stipulates that any increase in revenue must first be directed towards eliminating existing fees for fire protections and restricts the total increase to a maximum of two percent of the previous year's fire budget. Critics may raise questions about whether such measures are sufficient to prevent misallocation of funds and ensure accountability in the spending of the additional revenue.