The Pennsylvania Legislature enacted a LAW that exempts “all fire and rescue stations which are founded, endowed and maintained by public or private charity, together with the grounds annexed and necessary for the occupancy and use of the fire and rescue stations, and social halls and grounds owned and occupied by fire and rescue stations and used on a regular basis for activities which contribute to the support of fire and rescue stations, as long as the net receipts from the activities are used solely for the charitable purposes of the fire and rescue stations” from all county, city, borough, town, township, road, poor, county institution district and school real estate taxes. 53 Pa.C.S. § 8812(15).

The Perkiomen Valley School District has appealed the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals and the Skippack Fire Company in regard to Parcel No. 51-00-00256-00-8 owned by the Skippack Fire Company. The Board of the Perkiomen Valley School District is attempting to revoke the real-estate tax exemption of the Skippack Fire Company and seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Fire Company.

The Skippack Fire Company, in existence since 1899, is a 100% volunteer organization which provides primary fire and rescue protection to the residents and businesses of Skippack Township and those visiting and traveling through the township.
The parcel in question sits directly next to the main fire station of the Skippack Fire Company located at 1230 Bridge Road. The parcel currently provides housing for the fire company’s active fire apparatus, Field-86. It also provides housing for two of Skippack Fire Company’s antique fire trucks and an antique hose cart, once used by the fire company to fight fires within the township.
The parcel currently provides housing and storage for numerous pieces of training equipment, firefighting gear, equipment parts, and apparatus supplies. It also houses hundreds of pieces of artifacts and memorabilia from the over 120-year history of the Skippack Fire Company.

The parcel also provides a home to the Skippack Fire Company Training Facility. The training grounds are highlighted by a multi-story fire burn tower, which allows fire companies to practice fire attack, hose line advancement, ventilation, and more, just seconds from our station. The training grounds also allow for training evolutions, including but not limited to vehicle rescue, search and rescue, landing zone set-up, firefighter safety, and rapid intervention scenarios. The Skippack Fire Company holds training sessions every Thursday evening throughout the year. The Skippack Fire Company also makes the Skippack Fire Company Training Facility available to other fire companies throughout the county to train their members to be ready for the next alarm. This property is also used throughout the year for fire prevention efforts, including the annual Skippack Fire Company Fire Prevention Open House.

The parcel also provides a source of income to the Skippack Fire Company through three rental spaces (two currently occupied). As mentioned above, the Skippack Fire Company is all volunteer and none of rent collected inures to the benefit of any member of the Company. Like most volunteer fire companies throughout Pennsylvania, the Skippack Fire Company is not able to function solely on the township fire tax, fund drive or secured grant monies. Although we are appreciative of these sources of income, in order to provide the level of fire protection you deserve as well as the safety and training our members do, we converted a portion of the stated parcel to rentals a number of years ago. These rentals keep Skippack Township’s fire tax lower than many surrounding townships, since the Skippack Fire Company has not needed to approach the township requesting a higher tax rate. The use of the stated parcel outlined above has not changed since the tax exemption was instated, years ago.

The Perkiomen Valley School District Claim on the Appeal

The Perkiomen Valley School District stated, under penalty of perjury, in their appeal, that “the [Skippack Fire Company] do[es] not advance a charitable purpose.” The School Board went on to state falsely that the Skippack Fire Company “do[es] not donate or render gratuitously, a substantial portion of its services... do[es] not relieve the government of any burden... do[es] not operate entirely free from private profit motive...” and “do[es] not qualify as a purely public charity.” Furthermore, the Board went on to state incorrectly that the property, “is not utilized for any of the so-called charitable purposes advanced by the organization,” and “The so-called charitable services provided by the organization are not provided at the subject property.” PVSD is seeking more than $300,000.00 from the Fire Company which will negatively impact Fire Protection for all who are served by the Skippack Fire Company.

Skippack Fire Company Defense

The Skippack Fire Company and our mutual aid partners provide services to all the townships and boroughs that make up the Perkiomen Valley School District, helping to protect ALL the students, facility, staff, administrators, schools and administrative buildings within the district.

The Skippack Fire Company is vigorously defending our organization based on the current exemption awarded by the Board of Assessment Appeals of Montgomery County. The Fire Company continues to be in compliance with Pennsylvania Title 53, Chapter 88, section 8803 granting the Fire Company property an exemption from all county, city, borough, town, township, road, poor, county institution district and school real estate taxes. The Skippack Fire Company believes that the Perkiomen Valley School District’s attempt to revoke this exemption not only affects the Skippack Fire Company but the safety and well-being of our township, our residents and visitors, mutual aid partners and communities, and the volunteer firefighters that make up the Skippack Fire Company.

We ask for your support by notifying the Board of the Perkiomen Valley School District and voicing your opinion for the unfortunate decision made by the Board. Contact information is available on the PVSD website www.pvsd.org/school-board

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For more information on the Skippack Fire Company visit us at www.skippackfire.com or on Facebook @skippackfire.
#schoolboardvsnonprofit

Press Contacts for the Skippack Fire Company:

Chief Haydn Marriott
610-584-1762
chief@skippackfire.com

President Keith Grierson
484-854-0971
president@skippackfire.com