Panola wouldn’t be much of a county without Batesville. And likewise Batesville wouldn’t be much of city without the county’s residents.

For too long there has been an issue over Batesville’s fire insurance rating and the purchase of a new fire truck to keep the favorable rating while continuing to assist with outside the city fires.
Aldermen and supervisors alike seem to have drawn a line in the sand. Some with the city suggest that the Batesville Fire Department might just not answer calls  outside city limits.

Some on the county’s side say that only a third of the city’s fire calls come from the county. They want to pay a fraction of what a fire truck cost.

Some in the city including the fire chief want to purchase a fire truck that suits the needs of the city. Some in the county want to purchase the minimum style truck like those purchased for rural departments and pay only a portion of the cost.

Can we be reasonable here? Is there not room for compromise? Can we work together for the good of all the citizens to assure that citizens are best served in the area of fire protection as well as fairness.

County residents benefit from Batesville Fire Department, according to  those who sell insurance. The city benefits from the citizens who reside in the county in the form of sales and tourism taxes paid.

Why not work together to find a solution rather than working apart to find differences?
Leadership needs to get together and take care of this piece of business.