PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, OH (Toledo News Now) - The Perrysburg Township's Fire and EMS Department says it needs the four mill levy it will be putting on the November ballot in order to continue operations.
The Fire and EMS Department says it has tried several ways to keep taxpayer costs down.
The trustees have been using money from the general fund, and the township has teamed up with other local departments. At this point, Fire Chief Tom Brice says it is not enough, because there have been cuts at the state level. Grant money is less available, and there is less money coming in from property valuations.
Brice says that taxpayers are used to seeing a total of three mills on that ballot that went to fire and EMS, but in order to maintain services the department has provided, the chief says it needed to be bumped up to four mills.
Brice says the safety of the community depends on taxpayer support in November, because cuts to department can mean longer emergency response times:
"That's pretty significant if you're having a heart attack or if your house is on fire. And you know we think we've provided a good service to the community and we want to continue to maintain that."
The fire chief says the levy money won't go towards new equipment or personnel. It is just enough to keep things as they are.
