Voters narrowly reject new permanent fire and EMS levy in Union Township
Union Township voters narrowly rejected a permanent 4 mills levy intended to support their fire and EMS coverage, leaving the area without a plan for how to fully finance the services moving forward.
The Licking County Board of Elections Office reports 1,055 voted against the increase, while 1,039 voted in support of the levy in final unofficial results. The close margin may trigger a recount, but those rarely change the results of an election.
Union Township Trustee Jeff Sharps said he expects there will be an automatic recount on the issue.
"We'll hope that the outcome will be different, but we're certainly not counting on it. As a board, we'll have to figure out how to move forward," Sharps said. "Obviously it's going to be a challenge if these are the results."
Union Township Trustee Roger Start declined to comment on the results of the election, but said their board hasn't discussed what it will mean for fire and EMS coverage in Union Township moving forward. He said that issue will be addressed in the near future.
Three previous levies placed on the ballot for fire and EMS coverage in Union Township failed, prompting officials in Hebron and Union Townsip to dissolve the Refugee-Canyon Joint Fire District, which provided fire and EMS coverage to Union Township and Hebron.
The village of Hebron sought coverage through a contract with West Licking Joint Fire District. Union Township established contracts with West Licking and Granville Township Fire Department to cover their areas.
The township currently collects three mills for its residents for fire protection, which they'll ask residents to renew next year. Sharps told The Advocate earlier this year, to cover their contracts with Granville Township and West Licking, they needed to put four additional mills on the ballot.
Robert and Jodie Adams, 71 and 70 respectively, of Union Township, said they voted against the fire levy because of the state of the economy and how taxes are going.
The Adams' said it's harder to accept a permanent levy and they were happy with their fire and EMS coverage prior to the fire district's creation a few years ago.
Laura Forni, 44, of Union Township, said she voted in support of the fire levy. She explained she felt the township currently has good representation from its trustees, and while there were a couple difficult years for the township, she feels its now back on track.
Sharps said Refugee-Canyon Joint Fire District had asked for 8.5 mills to fund their department, which was voted down by a "considerable margin," so the trustees sought an amount that was less than what the fire district had asked for.
The current levies generate $820,000 annually, Sharps said, and the additional four-mills levy if passed would have generated an additional $886,000.
According to Sharps, the four-mills levy would cost $140 per every $100,000 for a homeowner.
Sharps noted their board would've sought an additional three-mills levy had the village of Hebron not conformed their boundaries, so they had to offset the loss.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Voters narrowly reject new permanent levy in Union Township
