FIRE DISTRICT TALKS Officials see Salem, Perry cooperation

Officials view consolidating fire services after a rift split them.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- City and Perry Township officials say that talks about forming a joint fire department are a sign of new cooperation between the two entities.
That cooperation may lead to more talks about other issues, such as annexation into the city, said township Trustee Jerry Wolford.
Wolford has a unique perspective. He served on council for about six years, and is now in his third term as trustee. He's been serving the area as an official for about 16 years.
Wolford sees the city and township as separate, but composing one community.
Nancy Cope, the head of council's finance committee, which is trying to deal with the city's shrinking revenue, agrees with his notion of community.
Cope said there's a new spirit of cooperation between the city and township for the first time in years.
"It just doesn't make sense to argue with each other all the time," said Cope.
"The key word is cooperation," Wolford said. "That means two" parties.
Though the two entities may not agree, Cope added, "at least we can sit down and talk."
1987 controversy
Lack of cooperation and poor communication between Salem and the township sparked the creation of the township fire department.
In early May 1987, Salem said it was seeking almost a 1,000 percent increase in the fee the township paid for fire protection.
One trustee pointed out that the increase would take most of the township's budget, and described council as "nuts."
The trustees quickly began taking applications for firefighters and had a fire chief by November of that year. At the time, the head of Salem council's safety committee said that the city "never really heard anything from the trustees."
That person was Wolford, who says now he can see the governmental picture from both sides.
Cope, a 10-year veteran of council, attributes the cooperation to changes in politics and personalities.
Another factor is the national and local change in employment. Salem's industrial base continues to decrease as jobs shift to the service and retail sectors. Communities find themselves searching for new ways to provide services as their budgets shrink, such as combining fire departments.
Falling balance
Salem used to have a $1 million balance at the end of the year. That shrank to $400,000 at the end of 2003. The city's balance at the end of 2004 is expected to be about $100,000.
The city is trying to take action before it has a budget crisis, Cope said.
The city fire department's budget this year is $1.2 million. The city is preparing legislation for two issues for the November ballot.
One would be a 7.2-mill fire levy that would generate about $1.5 million a year. The second would be a 0.5-percent increase in the city's income tax that would bring in about $1.8 million a year.
Cope expects one or the other will go on the ballot. Citizens have also signed petitions to go on the same ballot that would block council from abolishing the fire department or joining a fire district without public votes.
But it's not clear if the city and township will have a concrete plan to consider by the Aug. 19 election deadline.
Council briefing set
Wolford and council representatives, who have had one meeting about the merger, will brief council about it at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Wolford isn't sure that plans will be complete in a month. "We want to make sure it's all done all right," he said.
Wolford said the city and township have a long relationship dating to 1833, when the township was formed. Township residents vetoed a merger with the city several years ago.
Before that, the city considered legally leaving the township, which would have brought the city about $40,000 in taxes that were going to the township.
Cope said the city dropped its plans when the township agreed to give the money to the city. The city gives the money to its parks, which are used by both city and township residents.
wilkinson@vindy.com