Saline Twp Inches Closer to Decision on Regional Fire Authority

In a special meeting by the township board on Wednesday afternoon, Saline Fire Department chief Jason Sperle led a discussion about the fire department’s transition to becoming a fire authority. “In all practical purposes, the department has been operating like an authority but has not able to take advantage of the benefits of being an authority,” Sperle said. “By becoming an authority, the department would become eligible for grants that we currently cannot access.”

“Our service area encompasses eighty-seven square miles, located within the City of Saline and the townships of Lodi, Saline, and half of York. There is one fire station to service all 87 square miles,” Sperle said. “Compared to Pittsfield Township, which has 28 square miles within its jurisdiction, they have three fire stations compared to our one.”

A fire authority keeps operational procedures essentially the same. The fire chief will still report to the fire board, which is comprised of two representatives from each district. One must be an elected official. In addition to the eight representatives from the four municipalities, there is one at large representative who is appointed by the fire board. The only requirement for that representative is that they must live within the fire board district.

Chief Sperle, working with the fire board, would develop an annual budget. The budget would be designed to improve service response times as well as begin to upgrade equipment, such as personal protective equipment used by firefighters and vehicles.

“Whatever millage rate is approved by the fire board would go on the ballot within each jurisdiction,” said Fred Lucas, consulting attorney for Saline Township. “It requires a majority vote for approval. So, it does not matter if one township votes the millage down. If the majority approves it, that becomes the effective millage for everyone.”

Lucas also stressed that whatever the level the fire millage is set at, each homeowner would have that millage assessed against the value of their property, “Even if the data center increases the tax revenue for the township, each homeowner’s tax bill reflects only the value of their property,” Lucas said.

Each municipality will provide a final review of the language of the Articles of Incorporation for the Saline Area Fire Authority and provide comments to Chief Sperle. Action by the fire board is expected within the next couple of months. Once approved by the fire board, each board within the municipalities would then need to vote to ratify the Articles of Incorporation., creating the Saline Area Fire Authority.