Chief Daniel Stitzel said the town hall is an opportunity for residents to learn more about the division’s challenges, to ask questions and to share feedback.
“We’re trying to get the community input on what the community thinks we should be asking for,” Stitzel said.
The last tax levy was in 2012, which was planned to last for 10 years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief said the department held off on a tax request.
“We’ve gone over 12 years now with no additional money. It’s just time. We’ve got to increase our revenues,” he said.
City officials said the average age of the division’s vehicle fleet is 22 years, and with that comes rising maintenance costs. Also, the department is facing a staffing shortage and a grant that helps pay for personnel is expiring at the end of 2026.
There were two town hall meetings held last week, which included a presentation, an explanation of tax levies, a tour of the facility and a question-and-answer session.
“We’ve had a lot of great dialogue,” Stitzel said.
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