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Fire district pushing for fee renewal from voters
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WALKER - Fire fighters in Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 are pushing for voters to renew a service charge that makes up 30 percent of the district's budget.
The $32 yearly fee generates $713,000 a year for Fire District 4. District 4 covers one-third of the parish including Walker, Watson, Port Vincent and parts of Denham Springs and Satsuma.
The district uses the money to employ fire fighters and to keep equipment and fire stations up to par. Without a renewal, the area's class 5 fire rating could go up if the district's progress comes to a halt. That could lead to increased insurance rates for homeowners.
"Well the last thing you want to happen is to need the fire department and call and they're not there. That's not going to happen. However, there would be a necessity to scale back on services," said District 4 spokesman Mike Sasser.
Some residents in the Walker area said they support paying for the service charge that has been on the books for more than 15 years.
"I pray my house never catches on fire, but if it does I'll need them Just like we need them for the fields and other people's houses. We need the service," said resident DeEtt Beaver.
This is the first time the fee is up for a renewal. The renewal would be for an additional 10 years.
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