By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Washington Township has paid its bill for 2026 fire protection provided by the City of Decatur.
The contracted amount is $29,875.60.
Three other townships – Root, Union and St. Mary’s – are also in the Decatur department’s coverage area.
The city increased its protection fees for 2026, the first time rates were boosted since some time in the 1970s.
As the city was faced with a roughly $2.5 million bill for a new aerial ladder truck, it was discovered that the four townships 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 said at the time. “We’re not interested in sticking it to anyone, but everybody has to pay their fair share.”
So, after much discussion, it was decided to boost the fire protection fees by 3% of the fire department’s annual budget.
With the fire department’s budget for this year set at $1,144,659 million, the 3% hike (6% to 9%) will bring in an additional $103,019.31.
The cost of fire protection to the four townships was divided proportionately according to their net assessed valuation.
The total net assessed valuation for the four amounted to $488,034,545:
Root, $181,823,566.
Washington, $142,243,566.
St. Mary’s, $86,333,173.
Union, $77,634,240.
So, the townships will pay the following for fire protection this year:
Root, $38,117.14
Washington, $29,875.60
St. Mary’s, $18,543.48
Union, $16,483.09
As of 2023, Washington Twp. had a listed population of 8,767.
STARTED:Two new members of the Decatur Fire Department officially began their duties on February 2.
Lucas Juengel and Christopher Jones were chosen from a field of 11 applicants at the start of the process.
Jones and Juengel bring the department to eight full-time (or career) firefighters, one short of a full complement, along with Chief Jeff Sheets and Assistant Chief Chad Baumann.
The department was hit hard last year by losing several firefighters to high-paying jobs in the nearby area.
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