WALKER — Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 is asking voters to renew an existing $32 user fee on the June 27 ballot.

The fee has stayed at $32 since July 1996 and currently brings in about $800,000 a year for the district's operating budget.

"Livingston Parish has grown significantly over the years and the demand for fire protection and emergency medical services continues to increase," Fire Chief James Wascom said. "Despite this growth, the User Fee has remained unchanged since July 1996."

Those funds go toward staffing, training, equipment, stations and other resources used to protect residents across the district.

"Maintaining the level of service our community expects and deserves is an ongoing responsibility," said Robert Dugas, Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 Board Chairman. "This renewal is essential to helping us keep pace with growth and continue providing dependable emergency response services."

IAFF Union 5515 Public Relations Liaison LJ Relle pointed out that new construction adds demand for fire protection right away, but the revenue tied to that growth doesn't come in until properties are occupied and placed on the tax rolls.

"The renewal of the $32 user fee is absolutely necessary for District 4 to operate and the Union supports it 100 percent," Relle said.

The district serves about 60,312 residents and 24,125 households across 225 square miles of Livingston Parish and protects more than $407 million in assets within its boundaries.

"Our firefighters need continued support to meet the growing demands of the parish," Wascom said.

Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 was established in 1975 and covers communities including Walker, Watson and Port Vincent along with portions of Denham Springs and Satsuma.