By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The Decatur Board of Works and Safety has decided to raise by 3% the fees it charges four townships for fire protection.
Board members made it clear that more hikes will be coming in the years ahead.
The question of raising the fees has been talked about for several weeks, sparked by the discovery that the charges have been unchanged since some time in the 1970s.
That discovery was made when the board and city council were deciding how to pay for a new $2.5 million aerial ladder truck for the Decatur Fire Department. A down payment of $800,000 has since been authorized.
The board and council learned that the four townships – Root, St. Marys, Union and Washington – were paying just 6% of the city’s fire department budget while 25% of the city’s fire (and some medical) runs were being made to those townships.
“City residents are subsidizing county residents,” Mayor Dan Rickord has said. “We’re not interested in sticking it to anyone, but everybody has to pay their fair share.”
The city’s 2025 budget for the fire department is $1.1 million. The fire department is the city’s second largest.
Fire contracts approved for this year are as follows:
St. Marys Twp.: $11,934.23.
Union Twp.: $10,608.25.
Root Twp.: $25,124.48.
Washington Twp.: $18,564.36.
All discussions have pointed to getting the increase settled soon before township trustees begin setting their budgets for 2026.
COST OF LIVING: During Tuesday’s discussion, the mayor noted that the city is facing other expenses within the fire department. Another truck is going to need to be replaced in the near future, and it is hoped that some improvements can be made at the aging fire station.
Board member Tyler Fullenkamp (also a member of city council) first called for a 2% increase at Tuesday’s meeting.
“I think that’s fair, but we should let them (trustees) know that it’s going to be increasing in the years ahead,” board member Craig Coshow said.
Of the lengthy period without a change in the fees, Coshow exclaimed, “I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
Shortly thereafter, Coshow said he would recommend a 3% boost, “basically a cost of living increase.”
After more discussion, the board (Fullenkamp, Coshow and Mayor Rickord) settled on a 3% increase, from 6% of the city’s fire department budget to 9%.
It was noted that Washington and Root townships cover part of the city, which means those city residents will be hit with the hike and thus could be paying for two increases in 2026.
Fullenkamp saw no clear path to resolving that situation. “We just can’t break it out without it getting messy,” he said.
About the Author
