But, now, something actually might be done about it. Fire district officials say they will use a $45,000 state grant to examine potential mergers or at least a consolidation of services with nearby fire districts, including Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie and Arlington.

This study should have been done long ago, and, certainly, Fairview isn’t the only district facing unsustainable tax rates. More mergers and consolidations of, and regional approaches to, fire districts should be considered throughout the county where feasible.

Fire districts are independent entities run by elected fire commissioners who set budgets and can raise taxes to what they identify to be the needs of the towns and villages in the district. And they are coming under increasing pressure to deliver these services in a more cost-effective manner in difficult financial times — and as more volunteer firefighters are harder to come by.

As local firefighter Mark Bendel wrote in a Valley Views perspective piece last year, “Combining services can increase firefighter staffing and the level of service to the public, while saving tax dollars and reducing the redundancy and duplication of services across the county.”

This is especially true in light of rising pension costs. In fact, the state attorney general’s office has announced it is looking into “pension padding” and is targeting state agencies, authorities, local governments and fire districts, including Fairview’s, though no wrongdoing has been alleged at this point.

Fairview homes assessed at $300,000 pay more than $1,500 in fire taxes alone. The Fairview Fire Department, which handles about 1,800 calls per year, is staffed by 18 professional and 15 to 20 volunteer firefighters. The state has appropriately tried to steer more layers of local government to consider consolidations and mergers, freeing up some money — though clearly not enough — to fund “Local Government Efficiency” grants to perform feasibility studies to that end.

Fire taxes in the Fairview district are among the highest in the state — in part because it is home to large tax-exempt entities, such as Marist and Dutchess Community colleges and Saint Francis Hospital. While some of those institutions make financial contributions to the district in lieu of taxes, homeowners have long argued they are still asked to carry too much of the burden. Spreading out the costs over a wider area under a more efficient system certainly deserves consideration. And a state review of pension and other costs is warranted as well.

Whether Fairview ends up merging with another district or least more effectively sharing services, the issue of how to fairly and efficiently provide fire service in the area will remain. Fire districts are going to be prodded toward change. Taxpayers should demand it, and both the Fairview and attorney general’s studies could offer compelling reasons why the status quo won’t do.