April 20, 2006

EDITORIAL

New fire levy deserves support

Back in the November election, Yellow Springs and Miami Township voters showed great confidence in and support for Miami Township Fire-Rescue when they overwhelmingly approved the fire department’s levy.

In the May 2 election, village and township residents should repeat that kind of support by voting for another fire levy, Issue 13. Support for the levy would allow MTFR to continue to provide excellent and essential services to the community, as well as make needed changes and improvements in the department.

Although the May 2 ballot includes numerous contested races in the Democratic and Republican primaries, all voters, including Independents, can vote for the appropriate ballot issues, such as the fire levy.

Issue 13 is a four-year 0.9-mill additional levy and would generate $112,000 a year for the department. Property taxes account for most of the fire squad’s funding, so support for this new levy is imperative.

This would be the Township’s second fire levy. The other, a five-year 3.8-mill levy, is the one that voters approved by 86 percent last November. The 2005 levy pays for the department’s daily operations, including personnel expenses, fuel, equipment, training and maintenance.

The May 2 levy would fund the fire squad’s 10-year strategic plan, including capital expenses, such as equipment and vehicles. The plan, which the Miami Township trustees approved last year, outlines an effort to spend $846,000 to replace and upgrade apparatus over the next 10 years. Fire Chief Colin Altman said the average age of vehicles in the department’s fleet is almost 17 years.

The chief said that money from the new levy also would be spent on hiring part-time staff to fill in “where we have deficiencies,” such as on the weekends, when it’s difficult to get volunteers, and on increased training efforts. In addition, he said, for the first time in 12 years, the department wants to increase the reimbursement payments volunteers receive for fire and EMS runs.

The new levy does represent a tax increase, and, according to Chief Altman, if approved by voters would be the first tax hike for the fire department in 15 years. The levy would cost the owner of a home valued at $150,000 an additional $41.37 a year. If voters approve the new levy, that same property owner would pay a total of almost $136 a year in property taxes to Miami Township Fire-Rescue.

The fire department and the Miami Township Board of Trustees are asking voters to approve a second levy because a clerical error, made last year, placed the wrong type of levy on the November 2005 ballot. Instead of a replacement levy, the ballot measure was filed with the Greene County Board of Elections as a renewal — and although the 2005 levy was approved, it will not fully fund operations at the fire department.

The funding shortage is another reason to support Issue 13 on May 2. With two property taxes, the fire department would receive the adequate revenue it needs to continue to provide excellent service and to implement important changes. As Chief Altman also pointed out, funding the department’s strategic plan would also help MTFR respond to growth that is projected in Yellow Springs. Indeed, last year, for the first time, the number the emergency response calls MTFR received topped 1,000 — and that activity is only going to rise as the community grows.

The community has shown steadfast support for Miami Township Fire-Rescue. Issue 13 represents another opportunity for voters to say they value the services provided by the fire department, an indispensable asset.

—Robert Mihalek