Currituck commissioners will hear from the public tonight on a county proposal to pay for full-time firefighters in Corolla by raising the property tax rate in the Outer Banks community by 5 cents.
A hearing on the proposal, which seeks to raise the tax rate in Corolla from 48 cents per $100 of valuation to 53 cents, is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Historic County Courthouse.
County officials say the new fire district tax, if approved, will help fund a hybrid firefighting service in Corolla that features full-time Currituck Fire-EMS personnel supported by Corolla Fire and Rescue volunteers.
Imposing the additional tax in Corolla would help the county continue to fund 16 cross-trained firefighters and medics that currently are funded through a $1.5 million federal grant, county officials said.
Both Currituck Fire-EMS Chief Chip Melton and Deputy Fire-EMS Chief Tim Riley said the grant is for three years. The first two years, the grant covers 75 percent of the firefighters’ cost. In the third year, however, the federal share falls to 35 percent.