If passed, the levy would collect $1.766 million annually. It would cost a homeowner $172 a year for each $100,000 of appraised property value. The owner of a $200,000 house would pay about $344.
The city’s last tax levy request for fire department funding was in 2012. The city promised not to come back to voters for 10 years, and now it’s been 13 after the city decided to hold off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a Franklin City Schools levy previously on the ballot that was defeated.
“We’ve gone over 12 years now with no additional money. It’s just time. We’ve got to increase our revenues,” Fire Chief Daniel Stitzel said.
The Franklin Fire Division last year responded to 669 fire calls and 2,182 EMS calls for a total of 2,851 calls for service.
The average age of the fire division’s fleet is 22 years, and that comes with rising maintenance costs, including $176,000 in emergency repairs. There also is a staffing shortage, and a grant that helps pay for personnel expires at the end of 2026.
Joseph Day said as a senior citizen he is more likely to vote for the fire levy.
However, he questioned the timing of the city’s levy when voters also must decide a school levy.
“It’s kind of silly to have two issues on the same ballot,” he said.
The school district has a 6.3-mill emergency tax levy that would raise $4.5 million a year and cost about $220 a year for each $100,000 of appraised home value.
William Gumbert said he is a senior with a limited income who would not be able to afford the additional tax burden of either levy.
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