The Knox City Council members opened the second in a series of three public hearings on a proposed Knox Fire Protection Territory Monday night.
As it stands, Center Township has reached its maximum levy and cannot provide more funding for the fire department and the city is providing what it can afford.
Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Kenny Pfost presented the need for more funds for the fire department to cover operations, training, insurance and maintenance. He noted that the fire department’s entire budget is $134,500 which includes $50,000 from Center Township. Items paid out of that budget include the fire chief’s pay at $4,700, a clothing allowance, car allowance, supplies, maintenance on fire vehicles, training, utilities, radio and equipment, annual pump certification, and payment of firefighters per call. That is budgeted at $33,000 for the year at $14 per firefighter per call.
Pfost noted that more funds would help with training, costly equipment testing to keep firefighters safe, paying for insurance, and purchasing new turnout gear that needs to be upgraded at least every 10 years, and the cost of radios and other equipment.
The property tax increase that is anticipated to fund the Fire Protection Territory will fund a full-time fire chief’s salary at a preliminary estimate at $62,000 and three part-time firefighters to work daily during the daytime hours at the fire department to improve response time, plus operations, maintenance and repairs, safety and capital expenditures totaling $325,000.
Bill Jones, Tippecanoe Township Trustee from Tippecanoe County, who was instrumental in the formation of the first Fire Protection Territories in the state, assisted Knox in the financial workings of the proposed Territory. To reach the estimated proposed Territory budget, property taxes would increase 3 percent for residents living in the Knox City Limits and 7.3 percent for those who live in Center Township.
During Monday night’s public hearing, several questions were asked about why the residents in the township would pay so much more than those who live in the city limits. Jones explained that it is based on what the residents in the city and in the township currently pay into fire services with property taxes.
“The tax rate for fire for Knox is seven cents and the tax rate for Center Township is four cents,” explained Jones. “The Territory brings each of those units together and all have the same tax rate.”
Residents continued to voice concerns about fairness. There were comments that having four firefighters being at the station at the time of a call would help with response times, but others believe that the fire department is operating fine as it is and there is no need to raise taxes.
The last public hearing is set for Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. CT at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox. A meeting to vote on the potential formation of the Fire Protection Territory would be scheduled for later in the month where the two eligible Center Township Advisory Board members would vote as well as the five Knox City Council members.
Information on the public hearing held for a proposed Fire Territory in Hamlet will be aired in tomorrow’s news.
