Why isn't that just part of the overall tax system there?

Letting a fire rage on is unsafe and just plain stupid. They should have put it out and if he wasn't paying the apparent separate tax system for fire department services then he should be billed and taken to court after the fact. After everyone else's safety and needs were met.

It should be unlawful for a fire department to ignore a situation like this.

All taxes are mandatory. I have to pay my state and local taxes as well as federal. I can't decide to opt out.

where i live the state government pays  for the fire ,police ,ambulance services out of its budget

there is in most non urban council areas  a small fire levy  in the rates that goes toward the upkeep of the Country fire Authority which is a volunteer service servicing rural areas with about 300,000 volunteers nation wide and a station in most small towns they attend fires in these towns and rural areas  and are the backbone when it comes to the Australian fire season

fire departments are part of many local governments.  in my area my taxes fund the fire department.

Not all taxes.  Some states and countries run on a subscription fee rather then a tax.  Like this fire department i'd guess.

you said i think making it mandatory  would be illegal and your question was answered by Kitler53. No it wouldn't it would just move from a user pays / fire insurance scheme or what ever the situation is to a  system where it comes out of your taxes either as a specific levy or from the broader town/ state budget,

From what I read elsewhere, the reason the firefight tax isn't included in the city tax is because the town doesn't have its own fire department, they use a neighboring cities fire department, hence the $75 a year tax.  I could be wrong though, that's just how I understood it.

I'll just add that I agree with the fire department.  $75 isn't much money and the homeowner had no reason to not pay.  If you take a risk, your house may burn to the ground. 

Understood. But I think its looked at as forcing people to a pay for the service.

For example, there was debate about the health care reform requiring people to pay for health care. If they didn't they would be fined and that was some how unconstitutional.

I think to avoid crap like that, they make paying for fire dept services optional.

Wow, that's pretty silly.  Just should have fined him after putting out the fire.

A. I agree, it should have been a mandatory tax.

B. I feel VERY sorry for the homeowner, or anyone who loses their home in general.

C. It wasn't a mandatory tax, so how could anyone be expected to pay it if they put it out anyway?

Honestly, I see that both sides have valid arguments here, and I hate to come down on one side or another. Really, the fire department should have put out the fire and charged the guy 1000 dollars or something. Then, the law should be changed making the tax mandatory, and part of the property tax for that area.

It is a poor law, and because of said poor law, something like this was bound to happen and it is a shame.