Plans to implement the Cahaba Valley Fire District’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan are now on hold following a special election vote at the end of August.
The plan was created after a 2019 survey in which residents in the district were invited to share their thoughts and ideas for the future. After the results were in, a strategic planning committee was created to consolidate and evaluate the surveys.
The proposed two-step increase would have taken place over two years and increased fire dues by a total of 75% from their current rate. Year 1 (fiscal 2022) would have a 35% increase, followed by a 30% increase in year 2 (fiscal 2023). This would have allowed the department to increase its current budget from about $3,600,000 to $5,800,000.
“What it boils down to is around a 65-70% increase overall, but it would have accomplished everything we needed to accomplish,” CVFD Fire Chief Buddy Wilks said.