South Jacksonville’s volunteer firefighters are asking voters for a financial lifeline on March 17, hoping to swap bake sales and aging trucks for a stable budget and newer gear.
On the primary ballot, residents will decide whether to create a new fire protection district and approve a property tax that would generate about $475,000 a year for the South Jacksonville Fire Department. Department leaders say the money is needed to replace worn-out equipment, hire part-time daytime staff and qualify for grants that are harder to land as a village-run department. Without a change, they warn, the operation may eventually have to scale back.
What the ballot asks
The referendum would establish the South Jacksonville Fire District and set an aggregate tax-extension base of $475,000. Local officials estimate that translates to about $4.20 per $1,000 of equalized assessed value, or roughly $126 a year for a home with a $30,000 assessed value.
The department reports that most of its vehicles are at least a decade old, and its lone ladder truck is rusting from the inside and considered beyond repair. Replacing gear is not cheap: used fire trucks can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while a new ladder or aerial rig can top $1 million. If voters sign off on the measure, Morgan County commissioners would appoint an initial board of trustees, and those seats would later appear on local ballots for district residents, according to the Journal-Courier.
Why department leaders are pushing it
Chief Rich Evans Jr. told reporters the department answers between 600 and 700 calls a year, with about 65% of those coming between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. That is exactly when many volunteers are at their day jobs and coverage is thinnest.
“We are hoping to do this for two main reasons: One, to increase stable funding and replace aging equipment; and, two, to hire part-time staff to cover daytime needs,” Evans said. The department currently operates on roughly $200,000 a year from village funding, fundraising and subscriptions, and he noted crews were unable to respond to about 25 calls last year.
The department has 23 volunteers, including paramedics, EMTs and first responders. Leaders say part-time hires would handle calls during the workday and also take on routine vehicle and station upkeep when there are no runs, according to the Journal-Courier.
How coverage and billing would change
Right now, rural property owners who want fire protection pay a $100 yearly subscription. Officials say that patchwork approach leaves gaps, since not everyone in the coverage area signs up.
A petition to put the fire-protection district question on the ballot cleared a December hearing with no objections, and department leaders have said they plan to hold public meetings in the coming weeks to explain what the district would mean for residents, as covered by WLDS. Supporters argue a formal district would streamline billing, create a predictable budget for long-term planning and open doors to grants that are not available under the current village setup.
Next steps before March 17
Voters will weigh in on the proposition during the March 17 primary. If it passes, the county will formally create the district and appoint a board that will oversee operations until residents can elect trustees.
Department officials say the first priorities for any new money would be replacing aging equipment and shoring up daytime staffing. They are urging residents with questions to reach out to the department ahead of Election Day.
