Residents in the Clearwater Forest fire service district will see a change in coverage and a drop in the fire tax rate beginning July 1.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution on Monday that will put the area between Nash and Bragg streets that will put the area in the Cape Fear Rural Fire Department service district.
In 2013, the county commissioners created and adopted seven fire districts, but in doing so, left Clearwater Forest district unprotected, according to Shane Seagroves, director of Lee County Emergency Management.
The only options for fire coverage were to build a new fire station or contract with the Sanford Fire Department to provide protection, Seagroves said.
“The board opted to contract with the city,” he said at Monday’s meeting.
Since then, state officials have changed fire response policies and now allow two departments to provide mutual aid, Seagroves said.