VAIDEN — Carroll County supervisors again said no Tuesday to a request by Bobby Grantham, county fire coordinator, to spend fire rebate money — at least until next Monday’s May meeting.
Grantham had made a request at an earlier meeting in April to spend $75,035 of the money, which comes from fire insurance premiums paid in the county to help support fire protection. Supervisors had told him to wait until they talked to the fire chiefs in their beats to make sure they had a need for the equipment he wanted to order.
Three of the volunteer chiefs from Gravel Hill and Black Hawk fire departments attended Tuesday’s meeting in support of Grantham’s request.
Supervisor Terry Herbert told Grantham that the chief he talked to did not want some of the equipment. “My fireman said he has not made a request. I talked to him twice,” he said.
Grantham contested that statement, saying that he had talked to him twice as well and that he had approved the request for equipment.
Grantham told the board that the county will receive around $100,000 in fire rebate money and that the fire departments need equipment.
Herbert and Rickie Corley also disputed Grantham’s understanding of the division of funds.
“I thought it had to be in one fund, but you could keep a second record with the amount for each beat,” Corley said.
Herbert agreed and said he wanted a clarification from state fire director Larry Barr, who had attended an earlier meeting to discuss use of the funds.
Supervisors voted 3-2 to turn down Grantham’s request, awaiting clarification from Barr. Marvin Coward and James Cobbins voted for the motion to allow Grantham to spend the funds as requested, and Corley, Herbert and Board President “Honey” Ashmore voted no.
During the break, Herbert talked to Barr, who told him beats have nothing to do with the money. It is to go into a separate fund and be dispersed by need no matter which department, or whether one beat got more than the other.
“I’ll have to bring salt and pepper Monday to eat crow,” Herbert joked, with supervisors, admitting he had misunderstood Barr’s directions.
“It’s the same as my road money. The other beats don’t have the right to spend mine, but it’s being done,” Coward said. “We’re going to lose this money if we don’t let them buy this equipment.”
Grantham said his request includes Beats 1, 2, 4, 5, Gravel Hill and Black Hawk. “It can only be used for firefighting equipment,” he said.
During the break, fire chiefs for Gravel Hill and Black Hawk departments said in interviews that the equipment was very important to them.
“We’re not paid for the calls. We do it voluntarily, and you’re going to send us out without the equipment we need?” Chad Smith of Black Hawk said. “If a department didn’t make a request, then they don’t need anything. Are you going to punish one that needs because of one that doesn’t?”
Jay Massey, chief of Gravel Hill, said the equipment is badly needed. “Everything requested is legitimate. It’s not junk. If we don’t have equipment we can’t do anything,” he said.
In other business, the board:
nHeard from board attorney Kevin Horan that in his conversations with the U.S. Department of Justice, it appears they will approve a change in voting precinct from the old county barn to McAnerney’s Restaurant in McCarley.
nApproved a reimbursement for Beth Wiggins to attend inmate legal assistance training in Raymond.
nApproved payment for re-sealing and striping 3.2 miles of Carrollton/Blackmonton Road, also known as Poplar Springs Church Road.
nRenewed telephone service with Correctional Communications Inc., as recommended by Sheriff Jerry Carver.
