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Burton favors district to equalize fire costs
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - January 11, 2012)
Burton favors district to equalize fire costs
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Burton Village Council may make a stronger push this year for the formation of a taxing district for fire services.
The idea was raised about a year ago by Burton Fire Chief Michael Sestak, who said the district's formation may decide the fire department's future. The district would include the village, Burton Township and about half of Claridon Township.
"This is how we're going to afford the services we provide and will continue to provide," Mr. Sestak said Tuesday.
Councilman Jeff Coleman agreed that the village would benefit under a fire district, with its residents paying less than they are now. "I think it would be a fair thing," he said.
Mr. Sestak said it's true that village residents pay more for fire service at about $110 a year per each $100,000 of property valuation, compared to about $50 to $60 per $100,000 valuation for residents in the two townships service by the department.
He said townships pay less, because they draw on larger populations than the village.
With a fire district, Mr. Sestak said, all resident would have one tax rate, rather than three separate taxes under the current system.
Mr. Coleman said the three entities would have to reach an agreement on what each will pay for fire and rescue services. "The figures are what everybody has to agree on," he said.
A fire district would generate more money for the department, Mr. Coleman said, and eliminate some of the financial problems it faces now.
He said Mr. Sestak has accurately portrayed the need to pay firefighters more for their work, saying the $7.50-per-hour rate is not even as high as those working for McDonald's restaurants.
"They do a good job," Mr. Coleman said of the firefighters. "It's a headache to keep them staffed effectively."
Mr. Sestak said the department lost another full-time member at the beginning of this month with a job offer by a department that pays three times what the Burton department offers. It also carries benefits, which the Burton department does not, he said.
He would like to see pay hikes for department members, although it would not be three times higher, Mr. Sestak said. "We don't need to be at that dollar figure," he said. "We need to be somewhere in between, comparable to other area departments."
The fire department has been operating on a tight budget for years and must deal with rising costs for electricity, fuel and pay, Mr. Sestak said. Ohio's minimum wage increased recently, which means the department will have to adjust for that, he said.
Mr. Sestak said it will come down to the three communities coming to an agreement. Claridon officials have been reluctant, because they now enjoy one of the lowest rates for protection, he said. The township pays less for protection from two fire departments than most pay for one, he said. The other half of Claridon Township is served by the Chardon Fire Department.
"We've just got to get everyone on board and explain what we need to do," Mr. Sestak said. "We need to show them what we need for fire protection. It's not getting any cheaper to run a fire department."
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