LANDIS — Residents in the East Landis Fire District could see their taxes go up if the county follows suit from a Landis recommendation that was approved on Wednesday.

The Landis Board of Aldermen proposed recommending an increase of 4 cents to East Landis Fire District’s current tax rate of .0425. At present, residents in the East Landis Fire District are subject to the lowest fire district tax rate in Rowan County. The next highest rate is Union Fire District, where residents are subject to a .055 rate. Every property owner in Rowan County is subject to a .58 rate with an additional district-specific rate levied depending on where they live.

The East Landis Fire District does not have its own fire station, however, it is serviced by the two fire stations that are part of the Landis Fire Department. The East Landis Fire District was created years ago to service an area outside of Landis that is within the county but not within so many miles of a fire department, as dictated by state rules on fire districting.

Rowan County has three such districts. In addition to East Landis, there is the South Rowan Fire District, which is serviced by China Grove Fire Department, and East Rowan Fire District, which is jointly serviced by East Gold Hill Volunteer Fire Department and Pooletown Volunteer Fire Department.

These are areas that at the time could not be met by any fire department within a five-mile radius. Different fire departments took on different areas to ensure that no residents were uncovered.

There are about 700 parcels inside the East Landis Fire District that would be subject to the increase. A four-cent increase equates to approximately a $80 annual uptick for a home or property valued at $200,000.

Since the East Landis Fire District is not in the town of Landis, the actions of the board are strictly a recommendation to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, the body that would officially have to enact any tax increase.

“It will actually have to be to them by March 31 if there is a recommended increase,” Landis Town Manager Michael Ambrose said.

As Landis explored needs for the upcoming year, the matter turned to the necessity for the tax increase as it seeks to man its stations and equip its firefighters with safe gear, including turnout suits and ballistic protective vests.

“(The recommendation is) to staff that third person with the ballistic vest, to try and give the fire department a little more money to be able to do some of these safety initiatives that need to be done for the fire department,” Ambrose said

The Landis Fire Department obtained a new fire engine this year for the first time in more than a decade. While the engine was needed for Landis’ ever-expanding fire service, it has hit the town with a recurring payment obligation.

“When we did not have a truck payment, we got along, but this year with the truck payment and everything going on, we won’t have enough money with regular revenue to be able to hit those high points,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose indicated that the four-cent increase would outfit everything for that third person on the fire engine.

Mayor Pro Tem Ashley Stewart, who officially made the motion to recommend the increase to the county noted that servicing East Landis taxes the town’s resources, requiring a means to recoup that funding. He added that with projected growth, increased services will only continue to be a necessity.

“We have to spec out for growth that is coming to the area and have to accommodate that financially,” Stewart said.

The motion was approved by Stewart and Alderman Ryan Nelms, who were the only two aldermen present during the retreat.