MOUNT VERNON—At the May 6 special election, Clinton and Morgan township voters will decide on fire levies.
Clinton Township residents contract with the Mount Vernon Fire Department for fire and EMS services. They will decide whether to continue a five-year fire and EMS renewal tax levy.
Things could change if the township can’t afford to continue that contract.
“We are very happy to serve the people of Clinton Township, and we’ve had a long-standing relationship with Clinton Township,” Mount Vernon Safety-service Director Tanner Salyers said.
“However, per the law, if there is no contractual obligation, we’re not required to service their township.”
Salyers said mutual aid does not apply because Clinton Township has contracted with the MVFD for so long that it disbanded its fire service.
“They would have to reinstate some sort of fire service for us to provide mutual aid,” he explained.
Additionally, the city would start hard-billing township residents instead of soft-billing.
Soft-billing means the MVFD accepts whatever insurance pays; residents do not pay anything out-of-pocket.
Hard-billing means residents would have to pay whatever insurance does not.
According to the Knox County Auditor’s website, the 1-mill levy collects $75,000 annually. The cost to homeowners is $35 per $100,000 home valuation.
The tax collection goes toward maintaining fire, underwater rescue equipment, and payment of firefighting companies and personnel.
Clinton Township trustee Jay Maners said that township residents shouldn’t be charged for ambulance rides or calls if the levy passes.
“The way we view (the levy) is it’s very cheap insurance for everybody,” Maners said.
Morgan Township
The County Line Joint Fire District asks Morgan Township voters to approve a five-year, 4.5-mill tax levy.
CLJFD includes Morgan Township, Washington Township in Licking County, and the Village of Utica.
The Knox County auditor projects the levy will generate $760,000 annually for equipment, personnel, and other fire/EMS expenses.
Township residents will pay $158 per $100,000 appraised home value if the levy passes.
CLJFD staffs two part-time Firefighter/EMTs 24/7. The department relies heavily on volunteer members to assist on emergency calls. However, volunteers are typically unavailable during daytime hours.
According to the CLJFD website, the levy would increase the department’s operational efficiency and provide the community with the resources it needs in a crisis.
“Increasing our staffing will help us ensure you and your family have the assistance they need in the time you need it most,” the website states.
Fire district voters rejected a five-year, 6.5-mill replacement levy in November 2024 58% to 42%.
Of the 698 votes cast in Morgan Township, 300 (43%) voted for the levy.
Morgan Township Trustee Troy Rodeniser said the trustees and CLJFD officials have tried to inform residents about the levy through flyers and meetings.
“We’re trying to help the people out, and no one showed up at either meeting,” he said.
“The ones I have talked to favor it. They know the situation. If [the levy] goes away, the fire department will close, and we will have to get fire protection from Bladensburg.”