Bellaire voters are, to put it gently, protective of their pocketbooks. It took the school district serving the community nine tries before an emergency tax levy was approved last year.
So the advice given to Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department members about a levy they hope to put before voters was excellent.
Village council members heard from fire department member Ray Penyak last week, regarding a proposed levy. Penyak said firefighters would like to see a 4.5-mill levy on the November ballot. It would raise about $154,000 a year, he noted.
Penyak explained the department needs to replace some old equipment, including air tanks and masks on which firefighters rely when they enter burning buildings. In addition, the unit needs a mini-pumper truck and a ladder truck, Penyak added.
Though fire department members believe both trucks are needed, they could be dropped from the levy proposal to reduce the amount of new taxes, Penyak said.