Franklin Township voters head back to the polls on Tuesday for a high-stakes decision that hits right at their front doors and smoke alarms. On the ballot is a 15.9-mill fire levy that township leaders say is the only way to reopen a shuttered firehouse, restore two-station coverage, and cut into longer response times. The plan would cost about $557 per $100,000 of county-audited appraised value and, officials argue, would finally steady the department’s finances. With one of the district's two stations offline since mid-2025, trustees and fire officials say the outcome could determine how fast crews reach emergencies on the township’s west side.
What’s on the ballot
According to the Franklin County Board of Elections, the certified language calls for a 15.9-mill levy for fire protection. It is written as a continuing levy, and county documents translate that rate to about $557 annually for every $100,000 of appraised value. The measure would start in 2026 and is structured to replace prior fire levies so the department can rely on a long-term, two-station model instead of cycling through short-term tax issues.
Why township leaders want it
Fire Chief Bob Arnold told NBC4 the levy would allow the department to bring the Frank Road station back into service and return the district to full two-station coverage. He said the measure "should prevent asking for another levy for 15 to 20 years." Arnold also said response times have slowed since the Frank Road closure and that, if voters sign off on the tax, the station could be fully operational again by the beginning of 2027.
The hit to coverage after the closure
The Frank Road firehouse was taken out of service in mid-2025, which left the Sullivant Avenue station to shoulder most of the township’s runs. Yahoo's republication of WCMH reported that before it closed, the Frank Road unit had handled roughly 6,000 calls a year, and that staffing cuts pushed trustees to choose which one of the two stations to shutter.
The taxpayer math
At the ballot rate of about $557 per $100,000 in county-audited appraised value, a homeowner with a $200,000 property would pay around $1,114 a year before any credits or exemptions, based on county figures. Township officials say rolling multiple fire levies into a single, continuing tax is meant to stabilize funding, keep both stations reliably staffed, and avoid coming back to voters over and over for new fire and EMS money.
Open house and local details
To make their case in person, the department is hosting an open house at the Frank Road station on Saturday so residents can walk through the building, see the equipment, and ask questions before next week's vote, officials told NBC4. Township materials list two fire stations in the district, and the township's website carries contact information for the fire department. Board members and the chief say they hope seeing the darkened station up close will help voters understand what the extra funding would support and why they are pitching this as a long-term fix.
How this fits locally
Franklin Township has also been recruiting volunteer firefighters this winter as it tries to ease staffing pressure, and Hoodline covered the department's volunteer push earlier this year. Township leaders frame the volunteer drive and this levy campaign as part of the same effort to shore up coverage without putting constant emergency-services requests in front of voters.
Voters will decide the measure on Tuesday. Residents who want more detail can read the county's certified ballot language and stop by the Frank Road open house before they cast their ballots.
