Residents want firefighters to be local

One councilman said he pays $200 a year in taxes for police and fire protection.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- Residents told lawmakers they want to keep their fire department staffed by local firefighters.
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams has proposed to Campbell officials that the Youngstown Fire Department provide fire protection to Campbell.
Residents at Wednesday's council meeting said they are concerned about firefighters' response times and increases in homeowners insurance rates if the city doesn't have its own department.
Bill Skelley, a Whipple Avenue resident, said council needs to put a levy on the ballot as soon as possible. He said his homeowners insurance rates already have increased $100 over last year, and he fears loss of local fire protection will mean additional increases.
Councilman Bryan Tedesco said the mayor and council should figure out how much is needed to fully staff the fire department and then put a fire levy on the ballot. He pulled out his latest property tax bill to show he pays around $200 per year, or 53 cents per day, for police and fire protection.
He said that tax is based on a $120,000 house. A tax increase that would cost him even $1 a day for police and fire protection would make a big difference, he said.
Fire levy
Tedesco said he wants to get a group of citizens together to promote the need for the fire levy. He said he won't be popular promoting a tax increase, but the residents need to understand that the cost of keeping the fire department -- although additional tax revenue would be needed -- would be minimal.
Mayor John Dill said selling an additional fire levy would be difficult. He said residents voted down city levies three times.
Council approved 2006 appropriations, with $2.4 million for the general fund. Of that, $390,630 is for the fire department. The 2005 general fund appropriations totaled $3 million, with $692,763 for the fire department.
Campbell, facing financial problems, is trying to sell its water treatment and distribution system to Aqua Ohio to get out from under substantial debt in that department.
The city advertised for proposals Feb. 16 to take over its fire department. In its proposal, Youngstown said it would provide full fire and rescue service to Campbell for $350,000 a year with annual increases of 4 percent, plus all overtime charges and inspector and investigator fees.
Youngstown also said it would use Youngstown fire station and truck locations, and that there is "no known way ... to hire or absorb current Campbell Fire Department employees." The Campbell Fire Department has five full-time employees, including Fire Chief Nick Hrelec.
Youngstown said expected response times in Campbell are four to five minutes for the first firetruck to arrive, six to eight minutes for the second truck to arrive, and 10 to 12 minutes for a full crew necessary for a working structure fire.