Small volunteer firefighters get fuel tax break

EDINBURG — A bill signed last week by Gov. Rick Perry gives small volunteer fire departments the same break enjoyed their big brothers.

Authored by Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, HB 387 gives volunteer firefighters not affiliated with a city - such as departments in Linn-San Manuel and Monte Alto in northern Hidalgo County - the same exemption on state fuel taxes enjoyed by larger city fire departments.

That equals a 20 cent per gallon break on fuel costs, Peña said.

"Many volunteer fire departments that serve small and rural communities struggle with tight budgets," Peña said in a statement. "The impact of the lost tax revenue to the state will be minimal compared to the financial relief experienced by Texas' volunteer fire departments."

Smaller fire departments now are eligible to file for a credit with the state comptroller to receive a credit on all the fuel purchased in a year.

Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider said he asked Peña to push the bill through the Legislature.

"It's going to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for departments to purchase new gear," Snider said. "It's not like they're saving the money."

In Linn-San Manuel, the volunteer fire department exists solely off donations, Fire Chief Domingo Hinojosa said via telephone as he headed to a blaze Thursday afternoon.

Hinojosa said his department would likely see at least a $4,000 annual bump from the new tax rebate.

"We don't have a tax base that pays for our department," he said. "So this bill will definitely be an extreme benefit."

____

Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.