Duluth Mayor Drops Idea to Charge for Fire Calls
July 10, 2008 — It was a proposal that lasted just about a week. However, after the news media picked up on the story and comedian Jay Leno made it into a joke on his TV show, the proposal which would have charged Duluth residents for fire and vehicle extrication calls was dropped. According to TV and newspaper reports, Duluth Mayor Don Ness was considering a proposal similar to Burnsville, Minnesota, which charges $500 for a fire call involving suppression operations. The idea drew criticism from city council member Todd Fedora. "People pay taxes to get police and fire protection," said Fedora. He was also concerned that people would not call for help if they had to pay. According to Duluth Communications Director Jeff Papas, the intent of the proposal was to bill the homeowner's insurance company and have insurance companies pay for the services. Ness said he dropped the proposal because the idea was not given proper attention. Duluth is facing a budget shortfall of $4.5 million.