MADISON TOWNSHIP — A replacement fire levy may be on the November ballot in Madison Township.
Trustees authorized Fire Chief Ken Justus to collect numbers for a possible levy replacement at Monday night’s meeting. The current 5.5-mill continuing levy was passed in 2000.
Justus said he will work with trustee Dan Fletcher and the county auditor’s office to determine specific numbers for how much a replacement levy could generate for the township. Trustees will consider a resolution for a levy replacement at a later meeting.
“This continuous levy has been collecting the same amount for 24 years,” Justus said. “It’s around $680,000 a year.
“If we re-run this levy as a replacement at a rate of 5.5 mils, we will collect around $1.1 million. This will bring in around $380,000 additional monies for the fire department without adding a new levy.”
The 5.5-mill levy costs about $193 per $100,000 of property value, according to appraisal values in 2000.
Justus said the auditor’s office told him the levy is collecting about 3.17 mills in today’s property values, which translates to about $111 per $100,000 of property value.
“In our fiscal caution meetings with the State of Ohio, they’ve encouraged us to run this levy to secure better funding for the future of the fire department,” he said.
The fire department’s total appropriations from the 2024 budget are about $2 million. Justus said a levy replacement could bring in more money to support salaries and operations if passed.
“It funds the majority of our full-time staffers and utilities at the stations right now,” he said. “If this passed, it would give us money to support future expenses like bonuses, insurance changes — all that stuff that’s going up.”
Trustees approve Rusty Rissler as Madison fire chaplain
Justus welcomed the addition of a new chaplain to the township fire department.
Chaplains provide support to firefighters in stressful times and can organize events or worship ceremonies. They can also accompany service members into calls after completing training courses.
“I’ve been approached by Rusty Rissler from the Mansfield Baptist Temple about being our chaplain,” Justus said. “Phil Green was our chaplain for a while, but we don’t really have one currently. I think Rusty will be a great addition.”
Pastor Robert Kurtz, who works with Rissler at the church, is the Richland County Sheriff’s Office chaplain.
Justus said he wants to send Rissler to a fire department chaplain training program and purchase a uniform and basic protective equipment if he is needed at an emergency scene.
Also on Monday, county commissioner Tony Vero swore in fiscal officer Leanna Rhodes for her second term as township fiscal officer. She won re-election unopposed in November 2023. Her term ends March 31, 2028.
Also in Monday’s meeting:
- Trustees approved $6,500 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for tile repair on North Stewart Road. Trustees also approved an additional $950 of ARPA funds for an electric generator replacement at Expressview Drive. Trustees approved a replacement last October for $36,925 including the installation fees.
- Zoning officer Paul Smith said Central Ohio Fencing Services has agreed to pay window sign permits for its 1457 Ashland Road location. Trustees Dan Fletcher and Tom Craft voted to issue sign permit charges at the trustees’ March 18 meeting.
- Justus said he would like to purchase a used, 2018 ambulance for $128,000. He said the fire department can sell some of its equipment for about $18,000, and put older ambulances up for sale to recoup the costs. Justus said new ambulances could cost more than twice this amount. Trustees will determine what area of the budget to fund the truck with at their next meeting April 15.
- Trustees approved adoption of the Richland County Final 9-1-1 plan, which is designed to improve communication among emergency services across the county.
- Trustees approved a reappropriation in the 2024 budget, moving $1,750 from fire department salaries and benefits to fire district general funds.
