JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Voters in Bellville and Jefferson Township may experience deja vu when they step into the voting booth in March.
That’s because levy replacement and increase is back on the ballot for the Bellville-Jefferson Township Fire Department.
Voters rejected a measure to replace a 2-mill operating levy with a 6-mill one in November. There were 917 voters in favor and 1,118 against.
Township trustees voted unanimously to try again.
“We need the money. We need to get some full-time staffing and we don’t have the resources to do that,” trustee David Taylor said. “We want to hire full-time people so that 24 hours a day they’ll be at least one full-time person.”
Taylor said the increase in funding is also necessary to keep up with the rising cost of fire engines and EMS squad vehicles.
If the 5-year levy passes, property owners will pay approximately $210 for every $100,0000 of the county auditor’s appraised home value. Under the current 2 mill levy, property owners pay $70 per $100,000 of appraised value.
According to Fire Chief Zac Carlin, the last time the fire department asked taxpayers for an increase in funding was 2004. Since then, calls have increased by 85 percent. Carlin said the department responds to about 750 calls a year.
“The increase of the population of Bellville is growing pretty rapidly, resulting in more calls,” Carlin said. “Ultimately, it’s the safety of our community that we’re trying to look out for.”
Levy would allow department to have 24/7 staffing
Carlin said if the levy passes, the extra funds would allow the department to hire full-time staff. The department has about 15 part-time employees and eight volunteers.
Carlin told Richland Source last fall operating costs have nearly doubled with inflation and the department is struggling to find enough volunteers and part-time staff.
“The volunteer departments are dwindling everywhere across the U.S.,” Carlin said. “We still have volunteers here, but everybody’s getting older and they’re retiring.
“Due to a firefighter shortage across the U.S., our part-time employees are moving on and getting full-time positions, which makes finding new part-time employees extremely difficult.”
Since 2020, the department has worked its way up to being staffed 24 hours a day, but Carlin said there are several holes in the schedule due to staffing shortages.
Carlin: 24/7 staffing would allow faster response times
These shortages could lead to increased response times across the 36 square-mile jurisdiction.
Carlin said when the department has staff onsite, response times average around five minutes. If volunteers have to come from home, response times go up to around 15 minutes.
If no volunteers are available, the department has to rely on mutual aid from neighboring fire departments. Carlin said those response times could be up to 30 minutes or more.
Carlin said he’d also like to replace the department’s primary fire truck, a 1998 model, if the levy passes.
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