Fire levy to be on fall ballot

March 28-- Mar. 28--KINGSVILLE -- Kingsville township voters will not have a chance to vote on a fire department levy this spring.

Trustee Jim Branch said he and the other trustees mistakenly thought that the levy could be placed on the May ballot, but were informed by the county auditor that the levy could not be renewed until November, at the earliest.

Branch said the trustees are considering requesting an increase in the levy, from 2.5 mils to 5 mils, and using that money to transition the township's fire department from a mix between volunteer and paid, to fully paid.

Currently, Kingsville Township's fire department isn't staffed overnight, and any fire that happens in that time would be fought by volunteer firefighters.

If the expanded levy were to be approved, the township's fire and EMS services could transition to being staffed overnight. Branch said he was glad for the delay. He added that he wanted the trustees and other township officials to engage with the community, to get their feedback on the potential change.

Recently, Kingsville has courted controversy by changing the township fire chief's position from volunteer to full-time, and having the areas staffed full-time is a logical next step, Branch said.

"With a decline in volunteerism generally, an increase in required fire & EMS training/certifications, and an increase in calls due to an aging population, it has become apparent that around-the-clock paid staff is going to be a necessity in the future, not a luxury," Branch said.

The doubling of the levy will also allow the township to upgrade the fire hall to accommodate overnight firefighters, Branch said, with bunk house, better restrooms and kitchen, and showers.

If the increased levy is rejected, Branch said the trustees would seek a renewal of the 2.5 mil levy.

The trustees are also working on recovering from the destruction of the street department's garage more than two years ago. Construction of the replacement is nearing it's final stages, and the deadline for requesting replacement equipment is coming up in July.

The township hasn't been able to buy replacements for many of the small items lost in the fire because they do not have a place to store them currently, Branch said.

Street Superintendent Neal Stewart said the department is currently using the county's Kingsville outpost for the last several years. The new garage is scheduled to be finished by April 15, Stewart said, but he isn't optimistic.

"Things always drag out," he said.

The township's insurance policy has released the funds to the township, but the street department is waiting for the garage to finish before buying new tools and equipment, Stewart said.

Steward was excited about the new building, though. "It's going to be a fantastic building," he said.

___

(c)2019 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio)

Visit the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio) at www.starbeacon.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.