(a) The governing body of the fire district shall prepare an annual budget for the operation of the fire district. Prior to the adoption of its budget, the governing body shall meet for the purpose of answering and hearing objections of taxpayers relating to the proposed budget and for the purpose of considering amendments to such proposed budget. The governing body shall give at least 10 days’ notice of the time and place of the meeting by publication in a weekly or daily newspaper having a general circulation in the fire district. Such notice shall include the proposed budget and shall set out all essential items in the budget on a publication form prescribed by the director of accounts and reports and furnished with the regular budget form. The public hearing required to be held herein shall be held not less than 10 days prior to the date on which the fire district is required to submit its budget to the board of county commissioners for review and approval thereby. After such hearing a proposed budget shall be adopted or amended and adopted by the fire district. The governing body, not later than August 1 of any year, shall submit its proposed budget to the board of county commissioners for review and approval thereby. The board shall approve or disapprove the budget no later than August 10. After the board of county commissioners approves the budget, the governing body shall submit the budget to the county clerk as provided by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 79-2930, and amendments thereto.

(b) The governing body of the fire district shall have the power to levy a tax not to exceed 8.5 mills upon the dollar of the assessed valuation of all taxable, tangible property in the district, for the purpose of paying any lawful cost or expense incurred by the fire district and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 12-1774, and amendments thereto. No other levies for the operation and maintenance of a fire department shall be made on such property by any other taxing district. If any incorporated city is partly within the boundaries of one or more fire districts, and partly outside the boundaries of any fire district, the governing body of such city may cause a tax to be levied in that portion of the city outside of the boundaries of any fire district for fire protection, and may contract with any fire district, city, township or other organized fire department, to furnish fire protection in that portion of the city not lying within the boundaries of a fire district, in the same manner as though the city lay wholly without the boundaries of a fire district.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(c) The governing body of the fire district may increase the mill levy authorized by subsection (b) in an amount not to exceed 11.5 mills by adoption of a resolution. Such resolution shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the fire district. If within 30 days after the last publication of the resolution, a petition signed by not less than 5% of the qualified electors in the fire district is filed in the office of the county election officer requesting an election thereon, no levy in an amount exceeding 8.5 mills shall be made unless the question is submitted to and approved by a majority of the voters of the fire district voting at an election called by the governing body. Such election shall be called and held in the manner provided under the general bond law.