Beauregard Fire District 3 leadership fights to keep department alive ahead of critical vote

DERIDDER, La. (KPLC) - A Beauregard Parish fire department could dissolve unless voters approve a critical property tax renewal next month, and new leadership is making one last push to make sure the community understands what’s at stake.

New Beauregard Fire District 3 Chief Lee Williams and Assistant Chief Aaron Moreno were appointed in March and are now working to inform the public about the tax renewal that could determine the department’s future.

The road to get here wasn’t easy. Williams was one of nearly 20 members who resigned from the department in January amid turmoil under former Chief Daryl Binford.

Binford was suspended and ultimately removed from his position in February following allegations of falsifying reports, mishandling funds, and mishandling calls.

However, Williams couldn’t stay away.

“I’ve been doing this for 16 years. So it was a hard decision,” Williams said.

Previous coverage:

• Interim chief, several members of East Beau Fire District 3 resign during board meeting
• Daryl Binford will not return as Beauregard Fire District 3 Chief, board members decide
• Beauregard Fire District 3 board decides not to reinstate fire chief

Williams and Moreno say turning this vote around starts with something their predecessors didn’t do enough of: simply talking to the people they protect.

The tax renewal previously appeared on the November 2025 ballot and failed by just 53 votes — 309 against, 256 in favor. Williams says a lack of outreach was largely to blame.

“I don’t think we did a good enough job explaining to the community that it was not a new tax. As a matter of fact, I don’t think we did any kind of PR for the tax,” Williams said.

That has changed. The department now has banners placed around the parish explaining what the renewal will do, and a town hall meeting is planned for June 5.

The measure brings in more than $400,000 a year to be used for fire equipment and operations. The renewal — at 24.6 mills — costs the average homeowner between $150 and $200 annually.

If the proposal fails, Assistant Chief Moreno warns the financial impact on residents could be far greater.

“If the tax does not get renewed and it’s not approved, then our community members, a lot of them that pay homeowner’s insurance, can look at their insurance going up by $1,500 to $2,000 per year,” Moreno said.

Chief Williams says the department has enough funding to operate through 2026, but if the renewal doesn’t pass in June, the department would be forced to shut down.

Without Fire District 3, residents would have to rely on neighboring departments, and response times would increase dramatically.

“The response time for another department would be anywhere between 30 and 35 minutes,” Williams said.

Leadership is also working to lower the department’s fire protection rating. It’s currently listed at a 7 out of 10 by the Louisiana Department of Insurance Index as of 2024, with 10 being the worst. A lower rating could help reduce homeowner insurance premiums for residents in the district.

Moreno emphasized that every member of District 3 serves without pay.

“We’re a fully volunteer department. These people leave their families, leave their lunch, sometimes even leave work in order to be able to respond to these calls. Without the ability of having a local response entity in your area, you’re looking at higher response times, which we all live in this community. All of our volunteers live in this community,” Moreno said.

Beauregard Fire District 3 will host a town hall meeting on June 5th at 6 p.m. at their training center. Food and drinks will be provided, and all questions are welcome.

The tax renewal is set to go before voters on June 27, 2026.