Paying for fire services in Scio Township

The fire protection budget and its special assessment levy plays an important part in Scio Township.

This levy was increased in 2019, after the approval of township voters.

A public hearing was held on Dec. 28, during a meeting of the Scio Township Board to review the proposed budget for fire protection services and the proposed special assessment roll.

The hearing was held in part for the board to consider any revisions, amendments, or changes to the proposed special assessment roll and the amount of special assessments to be levied against benefited property.

For some background on this hearing, The Sun Times News followed up with and asked Scio Township Treasurer Donna Palmer and Fire Chief Andrew Houde a few questions.

"The Fire SAD was begun at the new rate of 1.35 on the 2019 Winter Tax bill. This was the original rate of 0.900 plus the increase of 0.45. The increase was asked for because of the future needs of the department. It was a voter approved levy," Palmer said.

The original Fire SAD was for 10 years, starting in 2009. The current amount is also for 10 years.

The vote in 2019, saw the proposed levy increase approved by a 70 percent to 30 percent vote of the people.

"A public hearing must be held every year for the property owners to have an opportunity to ask questions and if they choose to voice an objection, they have that right to do so at that time for the record," Palmer said. "If they want to pursue Board of Review consideration, it is the required first step and must be in writing."

There were no revisions, amendments or changes voiced during the Dec. 28 hearing.

According to Houde, this “millage is the sole source of funding for fire operations in Scio Township.”

In noting the vote in fall 2019, when the levy rate was increased from 0.9 mills to 1.35 mills on the taxable value of all real property in the Special Assessment District, Houde said, “this rate allowed us to put on a third full-time firefighter daily and it is funding much of the renovation to the building (fire station).

In addition to personnel costs, Houde vehicle maintenance, vehicle replacement, equipment purchases/replacement, and other operating expenses are paid for out of the budget funded by the fire SAD millage.

“Since I've started in May, besides the unanticipated need for personal protective equipment brought on by the COVID pandemic, we have focused on upgrading many of our tools used for firefighting and addressing deferred maintenance with some of our apparatus. None of which was a safety issue, but intended to increase life expectancy and reliability,” Houde said.

Looking ahead, he said, “The budget funded by this millage will allow us to continue these things into the future, as well as make future plans for adding a fourth person daily and a fire inspection program.”