MADISON TOWNSHIP — Madison Township trustees approved the hiring of six part-time firefighters Monday night.
They also approved Fire Chief Ken Justus’ request to raise base pay for new hires to $11 an hour beginning in January 2023. Currently, Justus said, new hires are paid $10 an hour before they complete basic training and $11 an hour after completing training.
“We are still the lowest paying department in Richland County for part-timers,” Justus said.
As of the township trustees’ last meeting Oct. 3, the Madison Township Fire Department had eight part-time firefighters. The new hires will bring the total to 14 after the trustees approved the sixth new hire.
Justus said he hopes the increase in pay will help the department find people interested in part-time paramedic positions. While $11 an hour will be the base pay next year, certifications and training can help raise the hourly pay of fire department employees.
Also in the fire report, trustees accepted firefighter Harvey Bachmann’s resignation effective Oct. 6. They also approved Justus’ listing of the township’s oldest fire truck on GovDeals.com. Justus said the truck will be online for two weeks and he will report if it sells.
Trustee Jim Houser said the township will use leftover Ohio Department of Transportation funding to patch Lehigh Avenue, Lincoln Terrace and the extension off Illinois Avenue. The township may combine these funds with American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the $21,000 estimated cost of patching those roads.
Houser also announced trustees were appointing Dan Boroff to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Boroff will join the board immediately and will serve through January 2027.
Madison Township’s road department will schedule one round of leaf pickup between Nov. 1 and 23. Houser said the department hasn’t yet released a schedule for when it will pick up from which streets, but residents can contact the road department at 419-589-9999.
