Fire districts authorized to levy taxes

A bill passed by the Legislature May 21 authorizes rural and suburban fire districts to levy property taxes.

Currently, counties decide whether to allocate property tax funds to fire districts. LB325, introduced by Hyannis Sen. Al Davis, provides for a maximum levy of 10.5 cents per 100 dollars of taxable valuation located within the fire district.

A fire district is eligible for levy authority only if it is located within a county that had a levy of at least 40 cents in the previous year or did not authorize any levy authority to the district in the previous year.

The bill passed on a 40-2 vote.