MADISON TOWNSHIP — Tony Orlando and Dawn had something in common with the Madison Township fire department on Tuesday night: knock three times.
Madison voters twice rejected a replacement levy, in May 2025 and in November 2024. But voters on Tuesday approved a 4-mill, five-year levy renewal that funds fire and emergency medical services.
According to final, unofficial results from the Richland County Board of Elections, the renewal passed with 1,075 votes (60.06%) for and 715 votes (39.94%) against.
The 4-mill renewal levy passed on Tuesday will generate nearly $600,000 annually for fire services over the next five years, beginning in tax year 2026. It will first be collected in 2027.
Because it is a renewal and not an increase, the tax rate remains the same — roughly $140 per year for a home valued at $100,000.
“It is just maintaining exactly what we have,” Madison Fire Chief Ken Justus said previously. “There is no additional charge to any property owners. It will not increase their taxes.”
Levy impact
The levy will support firefighter staffing, including payment of wages and benefits for full-time, part-time and volunteer personnel.
The department currently employs 15 full-time and 12 part-time firefighters, along with three captains, an administrative assistant, and the chief.
“The costs associated with running a fire department have increased dramatically over the past 25 years,” Justus previously told Richland Source. “We put this off as long as we could.
“The funds will help maintain our current services and try to grow with the community.”
Madison Township trustee Dan Fletcher previously said fire department staffing levels are short not because demand is low, but because the department simply doesn’t have the funds to hire and retain enough firefighters.
Officials emphasized that the renewal keeps funding steady and is “vital to continue operations at the fire department,” supporting staffing, equipment, and 24-hour emergency response.
Because of changes in property values since the levy was first approved in 2005, Justus said the effective rate has dropped to about 2.52 mills on residential and agricultural properties and 3.27 mills on commercial and industrial properties.
He added renewal is expected to generate about $599,926 per year, though township spending is budgeted on 92 percent of that total — roughly $551,900 — to account for normal collection variances. In 2021, the levy brought in about $570,905.