New Home Values Increase Tax Bill, Though Fire Budget Holds Line

Though the tax rate for the 2011 fire budget remained the same as the 2010 rate, an increase in property values means tax bills will increase about $20.

During this Saturday’s elections, residents will be asked to vote on a $2,063,163 budget, which is a $904,555 reduction from last year’s $2,967,718 budget.  The budget proposed $1,619,410 to be raised by taxes, which is a $46,345 increase over the $1,573,065 raised in 2010.

Last year, prior to the county-required property revaluations, the tax rate was set at .042 cents per $100 of assessed value.  For a homeowner assessed at the township average of $350,000, a tax bill would show $143.50 for the fire district.

The rate remains at .042 cents per $50 of assessed value, however, the county-required property revaluations mean the township’s average home is $370,000.  As a result, the tax bill would show $155.40 for the fire district.

“It’s pretty much similar, but it might have gone up a little bit because the rateables might have gone up,” Fire Commissioner Ron Berju, who is running unopposed for his sixth three-year term, said. “It’s not a significant amount.  As long as we can get the job done with out raising taxes too much.”

Additional funds come from the rateables, several fire service contracts and state grants, and surplus funds from last year, Berju said.

The fire budget pays for equipment, training, salaries for fire marshals and fire safety office operations—though the town’s firefighters, who are all volunteers, are not paid—schooling for the firefighters and firefighter training.

In addition, this year’s budget will provide for a fourth fire marshal for the township, a position with a starting salary of $40,000 annually.  Currently, the town has three full-time fire marshals and one part-time fire marshal, Berju said.

“We need to have another crew for during the day,” Berju said.  “All of our Fire Marshalls respond to all of our calls.”

Fire Marshals’ duties include inspections of homes and businesses for fire safety, as well as inspections of firehouses, vehicles and fire equipment.  Currently, lieutenants at each fire company handle equipment and vehicle inspections.

“That is to take a little pressure off of them (the lieutenants),” Berju said.  “They are all volunteers, so they work all day and then go to the firehouse and do this work.”

“We don’t want to take it away from them, but we want to subsidize their time,” he added.

Other parts of the budget will go toward computer program upgrades and equipment for fire inspections and detection.

A portion of the budget will go into the fire budgets’ Capital Reserve Fund, where the money is set aside to pay for replacement fire vehicles.  While the departments will not have to replace trucks until 2014, saving the money now means the departments can fund the replacements without cause a large tax hike that year, Berju said.

“We are looking ahead so we can just put the question on the ballot,” Berju said.  “It just makes it easier on the taxpayer.”

Anticipated truck replacements include a tanker truck for Fire Company No. 3 in 2014, a pumper truck for Fire Company No. 1 in 2015, a pumper truck for Fire Company No. 2 in 2017 and a replacement ladder truck for Fire Company No. 2 in 2019, Berju said.  Most of the trucks have a 25-year lifespan, he added.

Polls will be open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Hillsborough Municipal Building at 379 South Branch Road.