Liberty trustees decline fire merger study after heated public meeting

LIBERTY — Liberty Township trustees declined to pursue a study exploring the possibility of a joint fire district with the city of Girard after a heated public meeting tonight.

More than 100 people, including a large contingent of Liberty and Girard firefighters, attended the overflowing joint session in the Liberty administration building.

Of those who spoke, the majority opposed creating a joint fire district.

Administrators from Liberty and Girard emphasized the meeting was preliminary and that any vote would be merely to commission a study on the pros and cons of a potential merger.

Officials had not yet decided who would complete such a study or what the cost would be. They had hoped to pay for the study with up to $50,000 available via a state Local Government Innovation Fund grant.

To form a district, Girard City Council and Liberty Township would need to pass a joint resolution outlining the district’s powers and governing structure. Additionally, at some point, voters would need to approve a levy to fund the fire district services.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com