Wreck your car in Muncie? House burning down? Be prepared to open your wallet for the fire truck that comes to help you out.

At least that would be the case under a tentative proposal from Muncie Mayor Sharon McShurley.

Charging for Muncie Fire Department runs is the latest proposal by Mayor Sharon McShurley’s administration to raise money in the face of likely layoffs and no pay raises for public safety officers next year.

“It will be a new source of revenue,” said Deputy Mayor Richard Shirey, who bounced the idea off members of Muncie City Council this week.

Shirey confirmed Tuesday the administration was working on a proposal to charge for fire runs to auto accidents and structure fires that would be covered by insurance.

So, what’s the cause of the revenue shortfall that led to this idea?

Fire Chief Eric Wilson said it was premature to discuss a fire service fee, saying the city was looking at several different options to bolster revenue, with a projected $3.2 million loss from property tax caps going into effect next year.

Burden-shifting is neat if you’re running for office and you manage to shift the burden away from yourself, but someone is going to have to pay in the end.

Over in Muncie, rookie Mayor Sharon McShurley is catching a bunch of grief — and some statewide press — for her proposal to privatize the Muncie Fire Department to save money.

I fundamentally oppose the privatization of critical services and revenue-generating public assets, so you can guess where I come down on this one.

But McShurley’s half-baked idea is even more interesting than the Guv’s long-term lease of the Indiana Toll Road or his decision to outsource certain social services because it deals with public safety.

Some folks take an almost NIMBY-like attitude when it comes to programs that benefit disadvantaged Hoosiers: “Why should I care if government privatizes something I don’t think I’ll ever need?”

But police and fire protection? That’s a whole different ball of wax, and it doesn’t matter who you are or in what socioeconomic group you find yourself.

When I call 911, I want someone to show up. Quickly.

Those who support privatization of critical services will say that the cost savings far outweigh any potential risks, but the issue, at its core, is more about accountability than anything.

If my house burns down because it takes the fire department an hour to get there, I want to be able to hold someone directly accountable. I don’t want to storm the Mayor’s Office with news crews in tow only to be told that I’ll have to call some 1-800 number and lodge my complaint with some private company.

There are times when using private contractors makes more sense than having government hire full-time employees. This is not one of them. McShurley has been rightfully kicked to the curb for a terrible idea. Let’s hope, to paraphrase the Star Press editorial, that she learns from her mistake.