Hebron considering options for service as fire district plans to dissolve

Hebron councilmembers are considering their options for the future of fire service in their community pending the dissolution of the Refugee-Canyon Joint Fire District.

The issue was discussed during a special council meeting held in Hebron last week.

Hebron Mayor Jim Layton explained after the fire district's levy, along with two renewal levies for Union Township, failed, it was a clear indicator the entities needed to take a different approach to fire service. As such, Layton explained council asked him to look into different options to provide fire service, including contacting West Licking Fire Department, Heath, and a proposal from Union Township.

More: Granville, Union Townships approve contract for fire protection

More: Refugee-Canyon Fire district reduces staff, shutters satellite station after levy failure

According to Layton, a Union Township representative attending a meeting on fire service and provided information including an estimate they felt six mills would be sufficient to provide fire service.

Layton, along with council representative for the fire district Rich Moore, and Hebron Safety Committee chairman Ken Nauer, he said, met with Heath Fire Chief Warren McCord and Heath Mayor Mark Johns to discuss their plans, but Layton said Heath's proposal was not within Hebron's targeted budget.

During a meeting with WLFD Chief Todd Magers, Layton said Magers indicated their board may be open to Hebron joining their district.

"It would include a seat on the board, our station remaining with three firefighters on duty, accepting our firefighters and possibly using the value of the equipment toward the remaining debt on our fire station," Layton said. "The cost to Hebron residents would be West Licking Joint Fire District's current rate of 8.9 mills. The board did approve Hebron joining the district pending reaching an agreement for the services."

Layton added Hebron council would have to fine tune the details so their council could also make a decision.

According to Layton, Union Township is currently collecting three mills, which is about $664,837, for fire and EMS service and cannot put another levy on the ballot until November. If that levy were to fail, Layton said the township would collect three mills in 2023 and that would be the amount paid in 2024. He said Union Township Trustee John Slater said no additional money was available in the township's general fund to support the fire service.

More: Granville concerned about Union Township funding future after fire levy loss

To leave Hebron as a standalone fire department, Layton explained, would require taking money from Hebron's general fund at the expense of other departments.

"We are currently collecting nine mills, $750,704. We would need to find an additional $949,000 to have the required amount - and this is an estimate based on some different budgets that we've seen and what we've done in the last couple of years," Layton said. "We're estimating about $1.7 million with the building payment in."

Hebron Fiscal Officer Deborah Morgan shared Refugee-Canyon JFD's expenses for the last few years:

  • In 2019, including the building payment when it was still Hebron Fire Department, the expenses were $1,474,830.

  • In 2020, their expenses were $2,020,987 not including a building payment.

  • In 2021, their expenses were $2,026,136 not including a building payment.

"There has been some discussion about funding the fire department from the general fund. The village budget is for this year $1.9 million...(which) from the general fund will go to police, the street department, the fire station building payment, parks, and the library," Morgan said. "If you add one more department to that, you're going to have to cut all those departments to have enough to fund it."

Citing the Licking County Auditor's Office, Morgan said to gain $1 million more would be 12 mills at an additional cost of $420 annually per $100,000. And to generate $1.5 million, she said would take 18 mills, increasing residents costs to $601 per $100,000.

After receiving this information, Hebron council members offered their comments.

Council member Annelle Porter reminded everyone the council members also live in the village so it's logical they would do what's best for everybody, including themselves.

Moore inquired about Hebron's options for the fire department building and its equipment.

Nauer responded to Moore's question, noting Hebron could rent the property on which the fire station sits and its equipment to West Licking. He added the big thing is trying to go forward and not taking away from any other departments. He noted he believed joining West Licking may give the firefighters in Hebron a pay increase.

Council president Valerie Mockus said she thinks it's in the village's best interest to move forward with West Licking JFD.

"I think that's the financially most reasonable step based on the information we have," Mockus said, going on to address any misinformation about how far fire and EMS personnel would be located from the village. She said Hebron's intention is there would be fire and EMS service in the village in its current building with the same staff and equipment.

Layton concluded their comments and opened the topic up for public discussion, adding council would consider all comments at an upcoming committee meeting. He said he hoped council would come to some decision at their last May meeting.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Hebron considering options for fire service as district dissolves