Mayking Fire Chief Tony Fugate (left) and the volunteer fire department’s treasurer, Buddy Sexton, speak to residents about their station’s rising electricity costs during an Aug. 2 public meeting.
Credit: James Bruggers/InsideClimate News

WHITESBURG, KENTUCKY — Buddy Sexton opened a community meeting about the financial troubles of local volunteer fire departments with his head bowed: “Let people understand what a need we have in this county, in the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.”

Sexton then delivered some grim news to the gathering of about two dozen eastern Kentucky residents sitting in folding chairs set up in the engine bays of the Mayking Fire Department.

Just like the townspeople, his tiny department is facing crushing electric bills. They have gone up by several hundred dollars a month during the winter. That’s a lot in a local budget that is already strained as revenues from taxes on mining go steadily down.

“I’ve got financial reports here that I am afraid to look at anymore,” said Sexton, the department’s treasurer. “We’re in danger of shutting down.”

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