Rural Fire District Targeted at Bethany

BETHANY, MO — City council members were recently told that more than 50% of the calls answered by the city’s fire department originate outside city limits. That forms the background for a study that the city is making on the possibility of establishing a fire district that would encompass both Bethany and the surrounding rural area not otherwise within an existing fire district. Forming a fire district would require a petition and vote of people both within the city and the rural areas to be part of the district. If approved, the newly formed fire district would be able to enact a levy of up to 30 cents on $100 assessed valuation. Presently, fire department expenses for equipment and operations come out of the city’s general fund.