Allen-Clay Township Joint Fire District announces two levy initiatives

The Allen-Clay Joint Fire District will place two funding initiatives on the ballot in the upcoming election to “ensure the continued delivery of Advanced Life Support (ALS) level emergency services to the communities of Allen and Clay Townships, as well as the villages of Genoa and Clay Center.”

The district will host a town hall style meeting on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. and an open house on Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to answer questions, explain the needs behind these levy requests, share their vision for the future of emergency services in the community, explain how the district operates, and give an opportunity for the community to see the fire trucks and station. Additional details and events will be posted on their website and Facebook page. The website can be found by visiting AllenClayJFdoh.gov.

The Allen-Clay Joint Fire District is situated in western Ottawa County, covering an area of 75 square miles that encompasses rural, industrial, and residential areas, as well as the Ohio Turnpike and several highly traveled state highways.

The Allen-Clay JFD is a combination fire district that provides both fire and emergency medical services, responding to the needs of citizens and visitors within the district. The department comprises 80 emergency responders in three stations, who are dedicated to providing the highest level of care and service 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

In an effort to keep this level of service, including ALS for our community, the district has made the decision to request a levy.

“We understand the concerns many residents have about property tax reform in the state of Ohio, and we do not make this request lightly,” Fire Chief Mike Musolf said. “We have been good stewards of your tax dollars and have not asked for an increase since 2009. However, the cost of personnel, equipment, and supplies has outpaced our ability to generate additional income under the current levy.”

As the district’s sole source of tax revenue, the levies are crucial for funding the firefighters, equipment, and infrastructure necessary to protect lives and property according to a press release issue by the district. Increased call volumes, aging equipment, and rising costs of training and compliance are factors that make this additional funding essential to sustaining reliable fire and EMS service.

How the funds will be used:

• The 5-mill replacement, last replaced in 2009, will generate the funding necessary to continue daily operations at the district’s current staffing levels, while providing capital funds for critical equipment and infrastructure improvements.
• The additional 3-mill levy will primarily fund additional full-time staffing positions to improve emergency response capabilities. This model will supplement full-time staff with part-time personnel and retain their valued paid-per-call members as an integral part of operations. This would increase the district’s daily staffing from two personnel to five personnel, making them available for the increased emergency run volume.

The ballot will include:

• A replacement of the current 5-mill levy, at a cost of approximately $175.00 per $100,000 of county auditor appraised value.
• An additional 3-mill levy, at a cost of approximately $105.00 per $100,000 of appraised value.