The Yellow Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department is asking the 1,342 registered voters in Yellow Creek Township to approve a renewal of a 3-mill fire levy with 1.1 mills increase for each $1 of taxable value for the purpose of fire protection.

If passed, the 4.1 mills will cost property owners $89.19 a year for each $100,000 of property valuation for five years.

The passage of the renewal with increase would generate $147,700, which will be split between Highlandtown Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) and the Wellsville Volunteer Fire Department (WFVD).

The levy is the only funding source for WVFD.

According to WVFD Chief Jarrod Grimm,, if the levy doesn’t pass, the department won’t have money to pay for the firetrucks, gear, equipment or maintenance, and they won’t be able to send firefighters for training or pay insurance.

“We would have no money, that is what would happen,” Grimm said. “We would have no income other than fundraisers. You are not going to fundraise that much money every year to sustain all those costs.”

Grimm noted that the department would only be able to function for a little bit until the bank account ran empty if the levy fails.

The levy has only been renewed since 2008, making this the first increase in 15 years.

Grimm wants the voters to know that it was not an easy decision to ask them to pay a little more money.

“It’s not easy by any means and if it weren’t necessary, I can promise that it wouldn’t be happening,” Grimm said. “There’s nowhere else to go. You couldn’t survive as a household if you were making the same money from 2008. The inflation of everything is a burden for everybody and we understand that. But I feel like both departments have always given a professional service and I think the people of the township deserve that and I think we need to be able to keep providing that professional service.”

HVFD Chief Jerimiah Cole said that with the rising cost of training and equipment, maintaining the trucks along with fuel costs makes the passage of this levy very important to the department.

Cole noted just to outfit one firefighter with Airpacks and turnout gear costs approximately $17,000 to $19,000 and then account for training.

The department is currently sending one person through school for training at a cost of $850.

According to Cole, the department’s 1995 tanker needs to be replaced.

“The passage of this levy will help us continue to provide services to Yellow Creek Township,” he said.

Cole said nothing is getting cheaper and he realizes that this is an increase in taxes on the residents.

“I live in the township, Chief Grimm lives in the township as well, and we understand that this is a necessary increase to help us to continue to operate,” Cole said. “If this doesn’t pass, starting Jan. 1 we will be without funding for Yellow Creek Township until we could possibly get it back on the ballot in the next election.”

Cole noted the department will not stop running emergency calls in Yellow Creek township because he feels that wouldn’t be fair to the tax payers and that at the end of the day the department is there to help the public. But it would extremely hurt the department.

The increase would go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, with the first payment due in the calendar year 2025.

The passage or failure of the renewal with increase will be determined by a majority vote.

Voters have the option to vote for the renewal and increase or vote against it.