Officials: IN Fire District Merger Worth Taxes

Property owners living in the existing fire protection district will pay more in fire taxes if Bloomington and Van Buren townships join in 2021.

But Monroe Fire Protection District officials still support merging with the two townships, as it would lead to an enhancement of fire and emergency services for all residents, current and new, in the district.

“We are going to be increasing personnel throughout the entire new fire district,” Monroe County Fire Protection District chief Dustin Dillard said.

Dillard said between the Northern Monroe Fire Territory, Van Buren Township Fire Department and the district there are currently 18 full-time firefighters. He added if the merger is successful, the district plans to increase the number of full-time firefighters to 24.

Increasing the number of full-time firefighters serving the district will come at an additional cost to property owners living in Perry, Clear Creek and Indian Creek townships, which make up the district today.

According to financial information from consultant and advisory firm Baker and Tilly, fire tax rates are projected to increase about 6% in year one post-merger for Perry, Clear Creek and Indian Creek townships property owners. That’s an increase of $27 for a residential homestead valued at $100,000.

When Indian Creek joined the district in 2020, Perry and Clear Creek property owners barely saw an increase in their fire taxes. Indian Creek property owners saw their taxes increase around 7.5% after joining the fire district.

Comparatively, if Bloomington township is successful in joining the fire protection district, property owners’ fire taxes are projected to decline by about 6.9% in year one. That’s a decrease of $36 for a residential homestead valued at $100,000.

Property owners in Van Buren Township are projected to see their fire taxes increase 0.3% in year one when they join the district. That’s about $1 for a residential home valued at $100,000.

Dillard said Perry and Clear Creek residents did not see an increase in their taxes when Indian Creek joined because the two townships made up a majority of the assessed value for the fire district, and those residents were already paying much more for fire protection. In an attempt to equalize the fire tax rates across all three townships, raising Indian Creek residents’ fire tax rate was the solution.

However, in Van Buren and Bloomington townships, residents currently pay higher fire taxes than the district. Property owners in the district pay about 16 cents per $100 of assessed value for fire protection compared with about 24 and 35 cents in Van Buren and Bloomington townships, respectively.

Dillard said the tax adjustments for Perry, Clear Creek and Indian Creek residents would ensure everyone living in the various townships pay the same fire tax rate. The proposed rate for the merged district in year one is about 25 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Weighing the increased services against the tax increases, Dillard thinks it is a positive thing for existing district members.

“The current fire protection district and the citizens it serves will see a 75% increase in staffing in comparison to the 14% increase in the maximum property tax levy,” Dillard said. “This is an example of the efficiencies produced by a larger assessed value resulting from the inclusion of Van Buren and Bloomington townships.”

Increasing fire personnel

Officials plan to increase the number of full-time staff at all fire stations in the district.

Three full-time firefighters and one part-time firefighter are currently stationed at the fire station along Kennedy Drive in Perry Township. Dillard said the post-merger plan is to replace that part-time position with a full-time firefighter, increasing full-time staff at that station from three to four.

At the district’s Strain Ridge Road station in Clear Creek Township, there are two full-time and two part-time firefighters. Dillard said one of the two part-time positions at that fire station is funded using federal grant money that runs out in 2022.

He said post-merger, the part-time positions will become full time and would no longer rely on grant funding.

Federal grant funding also supports positions at the Kirksville station in Indian Creek Township. Dillard said Indian Creek will have two full-time firefighters stationed there after the merger supported by district funds.

Dillard said the district intends to staff the Indian Creek station with only two full-time firefighters because an overwhelming number of calls in Indian Creek are medical — around 90%. He said response to those type of calls require less staffing. In addition, he said, the Kirksville and Stanford stations currently respond together to northwestern Indian Creek on all calls except for medical services.

In Van Buren Township, Dillard said the district plans to increase staffing levels at both the Kirby Road and Stanford stations post-merger. The number of full-time firefighters at the Kirby Road station will increase from four to five. He added one of those full-time firefighters would be on staff to support operations at the nearby Monroe County Airport. As for the Stanford station, the district plans to add one full-time firefighter for a total of three.

Dillard said the district is also planning to have two full-time firefighters assigned to a fire station in either Washington or Benton Township in the future. He said discussions about Van Buren and Bloomington Township joining the district have included representatives from Washington and Benton townships who are also considering joining the district.

But state law requires growth of a district to involve contiguous territories. Therefore, Washington and Benton Township cannot legally join the district until after Bloomington Township does.

Washington Township Trustee Barb Ooley said they are interested in joining in 2022 — one year after Bloomington Township.

She said Bloomington Township joining the fire protection district will mean the dissolution of the Northern Monroe Fire Territory. Bloomington Township officials plan to pass a resolution to that effect next year, which will mean the territory will cease to exist as of Dec. 31, 2020.

Ooley said in 2020, Washington Township officials plan to contract with the district for fire protection services while they work on officially joining the district. The district also has contracts with Salt Creek and Polk townships.

Dillard added having those two firefighter positions stationed at a location either in Washington or Benton townships also would ensure that once the merger happens, no personnel with the Northern Monroe Fire Territory at the moment is lost.

Currently, the fire territory has a temporary station located along North Wayport Road in Washington Township staffed by two firefighters in Washington Township to better serve residents in that area. That temporary station will go away in October 2020 — a few months before Bloomington Township is scheduled to join the district — according to fire territory officials.

Dillard said the increase in full-time staff does not mean the combination department will no longer rely on volunteers and part-time firefighters to assist with operations. He said increasing the number of staffed firefighters is important in improving response times and enhancing the district’s ability to respond to multiple emergencies at once.

By increasing personnel, Dillard anticipates that the district would be able to handle three to four large-scale emergencies at one time with the help of its pool of part-time and volunteer firefighters.

And Dillard said increasing staffing levels also enhances fire safety, as firefighters are more likely not to be overworked, and it allows them to have more firefighters on scene to work an emergency more quickly.

“Just by adding more personnel, we would be able to keep them fresher and more response-ready,” Dillard said.

Dillard said the mergers will also result in redesigning station response zones. Eliminating the township line jurisdictions would allow closer fire stations to be utilized, he said.

“These changes will have a positive impact for medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents that occur in northwestern Indian Creek and Perry townships, as a result of the nearest station being in Van Buren Township,” Dillard said.

Still time to remonstrate

Property owners living within the existing fire protection district who are unhappy with the tax increases can formally remonstrate against Van Buren and/or Bloomington Township joining the district.

County Attorney Jeff Cockerill said the 30-day remonstrance process started the day after each of the townships’ last public meetings. The last public meetings on joining the territory were Aug. 1 and Aug. 8 for Van Buren and Bloomington townships, respectively.

He said at least 50 landowners must oppose the merger to trigger a hearing with the county commissioners to discuss their objections. This is separate from a statutorily required public hearing where the commissioners would take public comment and vote on whether to allow a township to join the fire protection district.

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