RESOLUTION NO. 143 of 2006 DATED: April 25, 2006

WHEREAS, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Departments provide untold value in public service to their communities by their selfless dedication in responding at all hours to the needs of their community, and

WHEREAS, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Members must undergo countless hours of training and practice to become certified in the various aspects and skills necessary for firefighting and rescue, and

WHEREAS, this dedication to service to others is given freely to the community by the many members of the volunteer services, and

WHEREAS, recruitment and retention of volunteer department members has become an issue of having adequate number of trained and qualified volunteers to respond to the community's needs, and

WHEREAS, it would be a fitting recognition and a reward for the selfless dedication of the members of volunteer fire and rescue departments to provide a credit against personal income tax for members in good standing of a volunteer fire and/or rescue department,

RESOLVED, that the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors does hereby urge the NYS Legislature to pass and adopt into law of Senate Bill 3804/Assembly Bill 10572 that would provide such a benefit, and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Governor Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Senator Hugh T. Farley and Assemblyman Paul D. Tonko.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED with Aye(1583).  Supervisors DiMezza and Cechnicki were absent. (4/25/2006)