LIBERTY TWP.

Liberty Twp. voters may not see a fire levy until May 2018 so the new fire chief can be involved.

The townships 2017 fire budget will go from just under $6 million this year to $8.8 million next year the amount includes a new fire truck and will stay in the $8.5 million range for the foreseeable future.

I know Im putting a lot of pressure on a person we havent even hired yet, but this is a large number of our budget and only going up, Trustee Tom Farrell said. I would like to delay (the fire levy) until May.

Fire Chief Paul Stumpf announced his retirement last September, a year in advance, and the trustees want the new chief to have time with Stumpf to get acclimated. The job listing is set to go out March 1.

Trustee Board President Christine Matacic said she wasnt ready to make the move on putting the levy on the ballot until their finance committee can take another look at the numbers.

The township would need to make a decision by June in order to put a levy on the November ballot this year.

The trustees started talking levy last June and did get information from the county auditors office on how much a 3, 3.5 and 4 mill levy would collect and cost the owner of a $100,000 home.

Numbers from the auditors office revealed a 3-mill levy would garner $1.7 million in additional funds and cost $105; 3.5 mills would pull in $2.9 million and cost $122; and a 4-mill levy would result in $3.4 million in new money and cost $140.

The township pulled back from putting a levy request on the Nov. 8 ballot because they said they needed to do their due diligence with numbers from the auditor.

Excerpt from:

Liberty Twp. fire levy timing uncertain - Hamilton Journal News