Orange Township officials are asking voters to approve a three-year, 7-mill renewal levy for the benefit of maintaining the township’s fire department. If approved by voters, the renewal wouldn’t begin until 2019, and it wouldn’t be collected until 2020.
“We always go a year ahead, so if something bad happens, we can go again,” said Orange Township Fire Department Chief Matt Noble. “We don’t want to take the chance of not having any money.”
Noble said the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $214.41 per year, before any rollbacks, and since it is a renewal of the current levy, there is a “net zero increase to the property owners.”
The chief added he didn’t foresee any capital expenditures for equipment this coming year, but the water rescue boat for the reservoir is under review for possible replacement in the coming years.
The ballot language states, “A renewal of a tax for the benefit of Orange Township, Delaware County, Ohio for the purpose of providing and maintaining fire apparatus, appliances, buildings or sites therefor, or sources of water supply and materials therefor, or the establishment and maintenance of lines of fire alarm telegraph, or the payment of firefighting companies or permanent, part-time, or volunteer firefighting, emergency medical service, administrative, or communications personnel to operate the same, including the payment of any employer contributions required for such personnel under section 145.48 or 742.34 of the Ohio Revised Code, or the purchase of ambulance equipment, or the provision of ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical services operated by a fire department or firefighting company at a rate not exceeding 7 mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.70 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 3 years, commencing in 2019, first due in calendar year 2020. A majority affirmative vote is necessary for the passage of the renewal tax levy.”
According to the Orange Township Fire Department web page, the department is responsible for teaching fire safety education and conducting fire inspections of both new and existing buildings. The department has two fire stations that are staffed 24/7 by firefighters/paramedics providing fire and emergency medical services.
