Issue 5 Springfield Township Fire and EMS Levy
Commonly Asked Questions
See our current stats at http://www.springfieldtwp.org/firestatistics.cfm
- What is Issue 5?
Issue 5 is a 1 mill levy for five years for the fire and emergency medical services (EMS).
- If Issue 5 passes, how much will it cost?
If Issue 5 passes it will cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 a total of $30.40 per year in additional taxes or about $2.51 per month.
- Why do we need Issue 5?
If passed, Issue 5 is expected to generate approximately $585,000/year in additional revenues that can only be utilized for fire and emergency medical services (EMS). These additional funds are necessary to allow the Fire/EMS Department to maintain current staffing, service and equipment levels.
As a result of the State Legislature's decision to eliminate the *tangible personal property tax reimbursement and the reduction of assessed valuation for Township commercial and industrial properties, the Township's Fire and EMS District will receive nearly $200,000 less revenue in this year than in the past. In addition, as the result of Firefighter injuries sustained in the line of duty, personnel costs were nearly $300,000 higher in 2011 than in previous years.
These factors coupled with the fact that the last Fire/EMS Levy was passed in 2001, mean that the department has been operating on the same property tax revenue for the last 10 years.
* The Tangible Personal Property Tax replacement was a phase-out subsidy by the State of Ohio to local government levy funds for the Tangible Personal Property Tax that was formerly collected by the State of Ohio on material business property. It had a phase out schedule of 11 years, which was accelerated by the 2011 Ohio budget bill. The Public Utility Personal Property Tax was also subsidized, having been a tax on material property owned by the public utilities. The budget bill eliminated all future "TPP" & "PUPP" reimbursements to the township levy funds, including the Fire District Fund. The 2011 loss of revenue to the Fire District Fund was about $124,200. & the loss for 2012 is about $174,000. Although the phase out would have terminated revenues from these sources after 2016, the reduction and elimination that occurred mid-year 2011 fell in the middle of the budget, with no prior warning.
- What happens if Issue 5 does not pass?
If this issue fails, the most likely scenario is that full-time Firefighter/Paramedic staffing would be reduced by 3-5 employees and the department will have to operate with one less ambulance unit. This reduction of staffing could result in longer response times to certain types of emergencies and the overall availability of personnel responding to emergencies.
- What other steps have the Township and Firefighter/Paramedics taken to deal with the financial challenges ahead?
The Trustees and leadership staff have reviewed and studied many different options regarding the delivery of fire and emergency medical services.This has included collaboration and or contracting with other jurisdiction and consolidation with the Township Police Department. In addition, several internal pilot and efficiency projects have resulted in cost savings over the year.
The full-time Firefighter/Paramedics Employee Union (IAFF –Local 4268) renegotiated their employment agreement with the Township, giving up a salary increase and agreeing to freeze salaries for the next three years. In addition, the union also agreed to make changes to overtime and insurance. These modifications will result in the savings of over $100,000 year during the life of the contract.
- Have the Trustees and Fire/EMS Department spent my taxes wisely in the past?
Yes, The Fire/EMS Department has been operating on a levy that was passed in 2001. When passed, this levy was expected to last 5 years. This expectation has been surpassed two-fold through the use of EMS billing, and careful results oriented budgeting practices.
