THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 15, 1995 TAG: 9503210530
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BUXTON LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
By imposing a 1-cent tax on property in four Hatteras Island villages, Dare County commissioners have saved the island's all-volunteer rescue squad.
The tax, which goes into effect July 1, will provide the rescue squad with about $52,000 annually.
``We are so thankful and appreciative to everyone who came out to support us and support this tax,'' said the rescue squad's president, Ron Watt, on Tuesday.
``We've never had secure funding before,'' he said. ``We've been trying to get it for six years. Now, this tax should provide enough income at least to sustain us.
``We're thrilled and excited it's finally happened.''
Formed in 1980, the Hatteras Island rescue squad has 27 volunteers who serve more than 4,000 permanent residents of Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras villages, and thousands of summer visitors. Until now, all the squad's income came from donations. But since Hurricane Emily ravaged the southern end of Hatteras Island in August of 1993, contributions have dropped considerably.
Without a consistent source of income, some rescue workers feared their squad would have to shut down.
Monday night, Dare County's commissioners held a public hearing at the Cape Hatteras School to determine whether residents of the four villages would support a tax of 1 cent per $100 of property valuation. More than 300 people packed the auditorium. By a show of hands, at least 95 percent of the audience favored the new tax.
``It really was unprecedented. But when the Board of Commissioners saw that type of support, they decided to go ahead and vote on the tax right then,'' Dare County spokesman Charlie Hartig said.
``Usually, they'll attend a public hearing then bring the comments back for discussion. But they made it clear that they didn't want this issue to linger on the back burner. They wanted to give the Hatteras Island rescue squad a long-term source of funding.''
Volunteers with the Hatteras Island rescue squad - the first to respond to most automobile accidents and beach rescues - do everything from pulling wind-surfers out of ocean rip tides to using the Jaws of Life to extricate car accident victims. The squad operates three inflatable boats, a donated Wave Runner, three four-wheel drive trucks, a mobile command trailer and a variety of other rescue devices.
The rescue squad shares a Buxton building with paid workers of the Dare County Emergency Medical Services. Volunteers hope, eventually, to buy or build their own facility. Rescue squad workers will continue to solicit community donations to augment the tax funding, Watt said.
Frisco resident Linda Browning's husband serves on the rescue squad. ``It's incredible what these people do for our community,'' she said. ``We're all ecstatic down here that they'll finally have funding.
``If you think about it, 1 cent per $100 of property is really very cheap life insurance.'' by CNB