Mingo County's VFD Disappointed After Levy Fails

{West Virginia}...Jerry Mounts, the head of the Mingo County Fire Chiefs Association, says he is very disappointed the excess tax levy failed to pass Tuesday by a vote of 2,609 in favor to 1,901 against, falling just 97 votes short of what was needed. According to state law, levies must garner 60 percent of the vote in order to pass. Mounts says the fire departments of Mingo County are going to continue to serve the citizens to the best of their ability, but, without the levy money, the departments will have to come up with the cash on their own and he's not sure all 10 volunteer departments will be able to meet the goal. Mounts says it may be a few of the more rural volunteer fire departments will have no other alternative but to close their doors, and, in the end, its the homeowners who suffer because their insurance rates will skyrocket if there's not a fire department near their property.