To resurrect the NCFD, would you be willing to vote FOR or AGAINST a 6-mill FIRE levy?

By Paul Buescher

April 4, 2016

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TRUSTEE BUESCHER@AOL.COM

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF NORTHFIELD CENTER TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE PAUL G. BUESCHER

~ KEEPING NCT RESIDENTS INFORMED SINCE 2005 ~
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#449 MONDAY APRIL 04, 2016

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TO ALL NORTHFIELD CENTER RESIDENTS

YOUR INPUT IS REQUESTED!

THE FUTURE OF OUR FIRE & EMS COVERAGE

IS IN YOUR HANDS!

Folks,

The reason that I am taking this poll is to solicit your input for some needed guidance for the future of our Fire and EMS services. There are many avenues for us to take and decisions to be made. We are currently talking with several area communities involving everything from contracted services, consolidated services and the preservation of our current Fire District to the formation of a new one. But the most important one is the possibility of resurrecting our NORTHFIELD CENTER FIRE DEPARTMENT (NCFD)! ALL of these options will cost more money, but admittedly, the resurrection of our NCFD will cost the most. We need to know if YOU want us to pursue this or to consider the other aforementioned options.

As most of you know, many of our neighboring residents are in an uproar because they believe that their elected Trustees have refused to listen to them or allow their input on the contentious decision they made to withdraw from our Fire District. I want to make it crystal clear that this is NOT THE CASE HERE IN NORTHFIELD CENTER! YOU will have input on every single step in our decision making process. And the first step that you can take is to participate in this poll.

I urge every one of you to answer the poll question as soon as possible so that we have some idea on what direction to take to resolve the situation that we’ve been forced into.

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POLL guidelines, rules and notes:

1 – When responding to this poll, your names and address are required but will not be published. All members of your household (spouses, children 18 and older, etc.) can ‘vote’. Please indicate how many are FOR or AGAINST the issue.

2 – Your comments both FOR or AGAINST the issue are welcome but please make sure that your ‘vote’ shows clearly and apart from your comments. If there is any confusion as to the intent of your ‘votes’ and the names and addresses of those ‘voting’ are missing, they will not be counted.

3 – This poll is for NORTHFIELD CENTER TWP. Residents only! Nonresidents are welcome to comment but not to ‘vote’.

4 – The poll results will be shared with my two fellow Trustees and will be used to help us in determining which direction to take in the very near future. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A POLL (survey) AND NOT AN OFFICIAL VOTE!

5 – The deadline for submitting your ‘vote’ is next THURSDAY, APRIL 7^th 8PM. The results and YOUR comments will be published in the next newsletter.

POLL ISSUE:

To resurrect the Northfield Center Fire Department (NCFD), it has been determined that a 6-mill replacement levy would be needed. We currently operate on a 2-mill levy so this would be an increase of 4-mills. Currently, the 2-mill levy costs the owner of a $100,000 home $61.26 per year and generates $313,499 of revenue. A 6-mill levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $210.00 per year and would generate $940,496 per year. This would be the minimum amount of revenue required to resurrect the NCFD.

‘Voting’ FOR this increase would keep services the same as they are now and would keep all 30 of our firefighters and paramedics.

‘Voting’ AGAINST this increase would eliminate our Fire Department and force us to contract with another community and we would lose most of our firefighters and paramedics. A smaller levy increase would still be needed to pay for any contracted or consolidated service.