The Bay District Volunteer Fire Department (BDVFD) has formally requested authorization from the St. Mary’s County Commissioners to hold a public hearing to discuss a proposed adjustment to the Fire Tax rate. The County Commissioners unanimously approved the request, allowing the department to proceed with the public hearing process.
The proposed adjustment would increase the Fire Tax rate from $0.050 to $0.056 per $100 of assessed property value, which represents the maximum rate permitted. Based on current assessments, this change would result in an average annual increase of approximately $23.41 for residents within the 8th Election District served by the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department.
The proposed rate adjustment is driven by rising operational costs, including fuel, firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), apparatus maintenance, and facility maintenance and support. These expenses are necessary to ensure the department can continue to provide safe, reliable, and effective emergency services to the community.
A public hearing will be held to present information regarding the proposed Fire Tax rate adjustment and to receive input from the public.
Public Hearing Details: will be held on February 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., located at the Braddock Hall (next to Station 3) 46900 S. Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park, MD. 20653
During the hearing, the department will provide a brief presentation outlining the need for the proposed adjustment and will be available to answer questions and address concerns from community members.
Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion.
SMNEWSNET asks you to attend and support this increase as we see first hand the struggle our First Responders and volunteers deal with daily as prices increase, events, donations and support decline or struggle, along with some manufacturing delays and cost just steadily increasing within this industry.
