MONTEREY &8212; Residents in Monterey will vote for or against a property tax increase Tuesday.

The 10 mill rate increase over the next 10 years would fund the town&8217;s volunteer fire department.

Currently, the millage rate for Monterey is 3.15 mills.

Concordia Parish Tax Assessor Monelle Moseley said the owner of a $90,000 home that has tax-exempt status would pay an extra $15 on their property taxes for the next 10 years.

Owners of a $90,000 home without tax exempt status would pay $90, Moseley said.

Fire Chief Jim Graves said the department really needs the increase to pass so his department can maintain and improve its equipment and buildings.

&8220;We have one station that needs complete refurbishment and our youngest fire truck is 23 years old,&8221; Graves said.

Graves also said some of the volunteers&8217; self-contained breathing apparatuses were over 20 years old and were patched with duct tape.

The department&8217;s 35 air tanks would have to be replaced soon and the price for the cheapest tank would cost $3,000, Graves said.

Graves said the extra money from the increase would also pay for new hydrants and water lines the department needs to install.

Graves said the department was inspected by the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana in May and received a rating of seven on a scale of one to 10, one being the highest.

&8220;We missed being rated a six by 1.24 points,&8221; Graves said. &8220;If we were to get this extra money I know we would score a six or better on the next test.&8221;

Graves said the advantage to the department scoring a six would be that home owners would pay about 35 percent less on their home owner&8217;s insurance.

Moseley said right now the department receives $18,882.85 to maintain its stations, equipment and water lines.

If the millage increase proposal passes, Moseley said the department would receive approximately $60,000.