Friday, October 18th, 2024
Vote '24
Levy for Butler Township fire protection on November ballot
By Abigail Miller
BUTLER TOWNSHIP - Butler Township voters will decide on a five-year, 1.8-mills renewal fire protection levy on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
The funds would be used to upgrade fire department equipment and keep up with state and federal mandates.
"It'll be to maintain equipment, buy gear for us, sets of gear, air packs and to put back for an engine," fire chief Dave Penno said. "Every 10 years we replace an engine. Our engines will be 30 years old when we replace them."
The levy brings in $264,000 annually, Penno said. It first passed in 2009, around the time that a previous 2-mill levy expired. An increase of 0.3 mill to the 1.5-mills renewal fire levy was first passed in 2019.
The levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $35 annually, according to the Mercer County Auditor's Office. If passed, the renewal would provide funds from January 2025 to Dec. 31, 2030.
The department has 25 volunteer firefighters and three junior firefighters. Only the fire chief and assistant chief are compensated, according to Penno.
