Rochester Hills voters are about to decide whether the city’s fire department gets more money, more firefighters and a better shot at answering overlapping emergencies without leaning on neighboring communities. The proposed millage change comes as department officials warn that staffing gaps are no longer a theoretical problem—they are already affecting coverage.
The proposal on next Tuesday’s primary ballot would raise the fire millage authorization from 3 to 3.5 mills, according to WXYZ. Fire Chief Todd Gary says the half-mill increase would support 12 additional firefighters, bolster the department’s capital fund and help pay for major equipment such as ambulances and fire trucks; early voters have until Sunday to cast ballots.
Why Rochester Hills Fire Officials Say Staffing Is Strained
The city’s official staffing assessment says the department handled 9,212 calls in 2025 and ran out of available units 224 times. Rochester Hills currently has 57 suppression personnel across five stations, but the department was fully staffed only 2.7% of the time last year.
The assessment also says the department met the National Fire Protection Association’s full-alarm staffing benchmark only once in 22 significant fires reviewed over the past three years. At the same time, the department’s average response time was 5 minutes, 15 seconds in 2025—within the cited national benchmark—showing how a respectable average can coexist with serious coverage problems when several calls arrive at once.
What The Fire Millage Proposal Would Change
The official sample ballot asks whether Rochester Hills should amend its charter to authorize up to 3.5 mills for fire services. The current charter authorizes 3 mills, though required rollbacks have reduced the present rate to 2.7798 mills; if levied in full, the proposed ceiling is estimated to generate about $5.04 million in additional first-year revenue.
A city presentation lists the requested 12 firefighter positions at roughly $2.01 million in annual personnel costs, with the remaining revenue intended to strengthen the capital fund. In practical terms, a mill equals $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, so the measure would give the city more dedicated room to fund both staffing and equipment rather than relying entirely on existing fire revenues.
Residents interviewed by WXYZ are split over that tradeoff. Supporters said dependable emergency coverage is worth the added cost, while an opponent cited the financial burden and argued that mutual aid from nearby communities could fill the gaps.
The Rochester Hills City Council originally placed the question on the November ballot before moving it to the August primary, according to the council’s legislative record. Now the decision is headed to voters: pay more for additional depth inside the department, or keep asking neighboring agencies to pick up the slack when Rochester Hills’ own units are already committed.
