There appears to be little doubt that four townships that receive fire protection from the City of Decatur will face cost increases.
The issue was raised again at the most recent city council meeting, where the increased charges are still being debated.
Decatur Mayor Dan Rickord has promised that any hikes will come relatively soon, well before township trustees begin preparing their budgets for next year.
“Hopefully, we’ll get something done in the next few weeks,” he said.
He said he would meet with Adams County Auditor Tony Mellencamp “to see where we’re at.”
It has been mentioned at previous meetings and was reiterated at the most recent one: county residents contribute 6% of the city’s fire budget, but 25% of the city’s fire runs occur outside of the city.
“City residents are subsidizing county residents,” the mayor reiterated. “We’re not interested in sticking it to anyone, but everybody has to pay their fair share.”
The fire contracts approved this year are as follows:
St. Marys Twp.: $11,934.23.
Union Twp.: $10,608.25.
Root Twp.: $25,124.48.
Washington Twp.: $18,564.36.
(And, yes, many who live in Washington Twp. reside within the Decatur city limits.)
AGREEMENT: The board of works and council approved a seven-year lease agreement with Republic First National Bank for the city’s purchase of a new aerial fire truck from MacQueen Equipment.
The city has already made a $800,000 down payment, leaving a balance of $1,455.695.
Interest at 4.69% raises the total cost to $1,773,957.90.
The initial payment is due in August 2026.
