JOINT FIRE DISTRICT Salem council holds off on plan with Perry Twp.
Voters will be able to vote on the two fire issues Tuesday.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- Council will not enact a proposed joint fire district with Perry Township before Tuesday's election.
Nancy Cope, chairwoman of council of the whole, said she will not call a special meeting that would be needed to recommend the pact, which could then be approved at Monday's council meeting.
Council switched meeting dates because its regular session falls Election Day.
"We're going to see what happens with the election," Cope said today.
Two initiatives
Past and current firefighters worked to put two initiative petitions on the ballot, which, if approved Tuesday, would require a later public vote on forming the district or doing away with the fire department.
Firefighters and the city are in contract talks and met Wednesday afternoon with no announcement on progress. The pact ends next year.
The city says it wants to save money by creating the district, which would serve both the city and township. Council has estimated a joint district would save the city between $600,000 and $700,000 a year.
Cope was going to go to the Ohio Elections Commission today to talk about the city's finances and other matters.
Hearing set
A hearing before the full commission was set to decide whether some signs in favor of the joint agreement are untrue. The signs say the pact would save Salem about $600,000 a year.
Stephanie Ritchie, the wife of a firefighter, filed a complaint on the signs, saying they are misleading because precise savings figures aren't known.
Three members of the commission decided Tuesday there was probable cause to have the matter heard by the full commission.
Cope now says she thought the possible savings would be closer to $700,000.
Lawmakers get copies
Even though council will not take up the fire district proposal Monday, copies of the agreement were made available to lawmakers Wednesday.
Cope explained that council would have to vote once to begin the process to form the district. If the final plan meets with council's approval, it would have to vote again to adopt the plan and actually start the district.
wilkinson@vindy.com