Issue No. 6 — Bath Township fire levy
BATH — Bath Township voters will see Issue No. 6, a replacement fire/EMS levy, on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot.
The 1.5-mill continuing levy would cost homeowners an additional $24.68 a year for each $100,000 of a home’s market value and would generate $788,400 annually for the fire department. The levy would replace a 1.5-mill continuing levy passed in 1985, which generates approximately $369,000 a year, based on 1985 tax valuations, according to Bath Township Administrator William Snow. The 1985 levy is the oldest of three levies that provide the majority of the fire department’s funding. Snow said the new levy is needed to provide additional funding for Bath’s growing fire department.
At a recent Bath Township Board of Trustees meeting, Snow presented a comparison of fire department statistics from 1985 and 2007. In that time, fire department personnel have more than doubled from 28 to 62. The number of businesses served has grown from about 100 to about 450. The number of single-family dwellings has increased from 2,850 to 3,200. Calls for service have risen from 649 to 1,187. Special operations have expanded from only water rescue to include teams for hazardous materials and structural collapses as well as confined space and rope rescues.
The increased funding would be used for operations, including equipment replacement. Fire Chief James Paulett noted that passage of the levy would provide adequate funding for the next five years, according to current projections.
— By Anne Dennée
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