Plain Township fire levy would be used on a second station, staffing and more

PLAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Voters in Plain Township will be asked to decide on a 3-mill levy this November that is expected to benefit the fire department.

The proposed levy would mean an additional $105 in taxes per $100,000 of home value. It would be the lowest levy in Franklin County.

With the boom from Intel, the New Albany area has grown quite a bit, and it’s only expected to get even bigger. Kerri Mollard, Plain Township Trustee, said along with this growth comes the need for additional resources to meet the needs of the community.

“It’s time,” Mollard said. “We are seeing increased costs, increased call volume and increased runtimes.”

Mollard said this is why they’re coming back to voters. She said from 2013 to 2023, they saw a 50% increase in EMS calls, and a 44% increase in overall service calls.

“There are parts of Plain Township in New Albany where it takes our guys 11 minutes to get there. That’s too long,” Mollard said. “If your family’s experiencing a medical emergency or if you have a fire in your home, we need that runtime to be shorter.”

On top of new vehicles and staffing, the levy would be used to fund a second fire station across town.

New Albany resident, Jake Bame, said he plans to vote in favor of the levy come November.

“My barber shop is right on the main street, and I watch the firetrucks and the ambulances all day long consistently so there’s definitely a need for it,” Bame said.

New Albany resident, Mark Hacker, is also in support of the levy.

“I always thought that the City of New Albany, Plain Township, everyone, does a really good job being fiscally responsible and getting the most for our tax dollars, so I definitely support this,” Hacker said.

Mollard said their last fire levy in 2015 was stretched for nine years. If passed, she said they hope this levy lasts five to nine years. She said her and her colleagues understand the burden taxpayers have when it comes to passing a levy, so the decision wasn’t made lightly.

“We joke that for anyone that questions whether we need a levy, just go sit over on High Street for a couple hours and watch how many runs they do in a day. So, I think there’s definitely a need,” Bame said. “The traffic, the infrastructure, the size of the community, the population, it makes sense that they would need more vehicles.”

According to Plain Township Fire Chief Patrick Connor, the cost of supplies and equipment has increased significantly. In 2011, Plain Township paid $561,574 for a new engine/rescue. In 2022, the same type of fire engine cost $935,537. A similar engine ordered today would cost at least $1,200,000 and take several years to deliver.

Township meetings are open to the public, where people can ask questions about the levy. The next meeting is Sept. 18 at 5 p.m.

Voters can also visit here for more information or email questions to levyinfo@plaintownship.org.

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