Madison Township residents will be asked in November to approve a replacement for the fire department’s 5.5 mill operating levy.

Township trustees voted at their regular meeting Monday to approve the second of two resolutions needed to put the issue on the ballot.

The resolution indicates the levy, if approved, will generate $1.17 million annually as certified by the county auditor based on current total property valuation in the township of $213,398,040. The 5.5 mill replacement rate would cost property owners $193 per $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value of a property.

The existing levy was first approved in 2000 and raises $680,000 per year to help pay for fire department general operating expenses. Listed eligible expenses include providing and maintaining fire apparatus, appliances, buildings or sites, sources of water and materials for obtaining water, as well as the payment of permanent, part-time or volunteer firefighters and the purchase of ambulances and medical services used by firefighters.

The actual collection rate for the levy has been reduced over the years to 3.1 mills because under state law local governments or schools cannot collect any more revenue than a property tax levy generates in its first year of collection or replacement, other than taxes on new construction. Replacing the levy would bring it back to its original 5.5 mill collection rate and generate additional revenue.

Madison Fire Chief Ken Justus said at the trustees’ May 20 meeting that the department continues to experience higher operating costs and that the State Auditor’s Office has recommended some type of additional revenue to ensure the fire funds stay in the black. He also pointed out that if the replacement levy request passes, the existing levy ends and the new one begins, and if it does not pass, the current levy remains in effect.

Both the current levy and the replacement request are for a continuing period of time.

Trustees had no comment as the unanimously approved the levy request Monday night. The deadline to file the paperwork for the issue with the Richland County Board of Election is Aug. 7 at 4 p.m.

Trustees asked about chip/seal work

During the second public comment period, trustees answered questions about past chip/seal restoration work on township roads. Trustee Dan Fletcher said seven years is the average life of many of the projects, noting that one of the earliest projects on Ford Road has lasted quite a while.

“Ford Road was the first that we paved from 430 down to where it changes over to South Ford Road,” Fletcher said. “We paved it with an OPWC (Ohio Public Works Commission) loan and they did it really late in the season — it was cool — and then we went back and chip/sealed it and it isn’t that hateful.”

Fletcher was asked if he still is going to put together a chip/seal program this year.

“I was waiting on some information on what materials to use and it is still in the works,” he said. “Somebody might pick it up. It isn’t a lot of work.”

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison Township trustees place replacement levy on November ballot