La Porte considers sales tax for fire gear

The City of La Porte may put a quarter-cent sales tax on the ballot this May
to help its fire and rescue personnel "keep up with the times."

The City created a Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services
District last week that will go into effect if the issue gets on the ballot
and voters approve it. The City has appointed a temporary board, who've
already issued a conservative budget estimate of just over $700,000, says
Assistant Fire Chief Donald Ladd.

The first public hearing on the District will be held Tuesday, Feb, 8 at
5:30 p.m. at the Fire Administration Building, 124 S. Second St.

"We've tried to look at this in a very conservative way," Ladd says. "One of
the things the board cannot do is go into debt. That's not allowed by the
state."

Ladd says the funding the District would provide would meet some crucial
fire-fighting and emergency-response needs. "[The price of] a fire truck has
gone up about $70,000," he says. "The last one we bought was about $330,000.
To get that same truck now would be closer to $405,000."

Not only that, but the protective equipment firefighters use must be
replaced every few years, and equipment used to rescue people from car
crashes needs to be brought up to date as well ."The new steel that they
have in automobiles, some of the equipment we have now won't even cut," Ladd
says.

Ladd also thinks some people have the wrong idea about the proposed tax.
"There's a big misconception out there that this is a property tax. It's
not."