The Berlin Township Fire District will be on the ballot next month asking for a renewal of a five-year tax levy to continue operating the department.

Berlin Township Fire Chief Brian Taylor said the levy is a renewal of the current levy at the existing millage and will not add taxes to Berlin Township taxpayers. The 2.98-mill levy will collect $1,188,000 annually, which amounts to $53 for each $100,000 of appraised value.

“The levy is a renewal levy that will allow our department to continue operating as it has,” Taylor said. “As a new fire chief in the township, I am currently evaluating the department, its operations, and its needs moving forward.”

Taylor, who took over as fire chief in August, said the community is experiencing “explosive residential growth” which increases the demand for the department’s services.

“While beneficial in many ways, this growth also presents unique challenges for our fire department,” Taylor said. “More residents equate to more calls for service, emergencies, and fires. Increased traffic on our roads equals more accidents. Those things mean our operations cost more because the apparatus is being used more, which means more fuel and more wear and tear on the vehicles. In many cases, the homes built here are getting larger and offer large multi-story great rooms and open floor plans, which changes how a fire spreads and grows.”

Taylor said the residential growth is adding more than just homes to the township.

“We are seeing an increase in businesses coming to our community,” he said. “There are also new schools, which house 600 or more students and staff daily. These things combined mean we are handling more calls than we ever have.”

Taylor added the department also services Alum Creek Lake and Alum Creek State Park as well as two large campgrounds that can bring up to 1,500 people into the community in the weekend. Taylor added boat traffic on the lake increases on a yearly basis, which can lead to water rescues and accidents.

“Water and rope rescue are services that many fire departments do not offer, but because of the unique nature of our community, we must maintain them,” Taylor said. “Still, because the land is state or federal property, the township receives no tax revenue from any of it.”

Taylor said the department’s equipment needs also continue to increase in price, and the department has a new fire engine on order that will be delivered late 2025 or early 2026.

“When this levy was last voted on in 2019, that truck cost just $600,000,” Taylor said. “However, today, we will pay over $900,000 for this truck and likely closer to $1,000,000 when all is said and done. This is true for everything we use, from uniforms to turnout gear to self-contained breathing apparatus to hoses. Even the fuel we put in the vehicles costs more.”

Taylor reiterated that the levy is a continuation of the existing levy with no new taxes.

“That is very important for our residents to understand,” he said. “We believe in living within our means for as long as possible, and this is no different. While costs for everything we do continue to rise, our families also feel that in everything they do. We are simply asking for our families to continue to support our department as they have in the past, and we will continue to provide the same excellent service that they have come to expect.”

Berlin Township voters have passed eight tax levies for fire protection since 2002. Taylor said the department and the township have “an excellent relationship” with their community.

“This is due, in part, to the fact that we are very proactive in the community,” he said. “We attend multiple events around the community every year. Additionally, we host events in the community, like the Touch-A-Truck in July. … Another great event we host is our open house, which will be held at the firehouse on Oct. 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We invite the entire community to visit with your firefighters, meet your new department leadership, see the station and the trucks, and have the trustees cook you a hot dog.”

Taylor also praised the “superb partnership” between the department and Delaware County EMS.

“This partnership includes housing a DCEMS medic unit in our firehouse,” Taylor said. “Our firefighters share living space with the EMS crews, and our community benefits from receiving this service that the county provides without additional cost. Few departments share this type of working relationship with a county agency, but Berlin Township has embraced this relationship and continues to work to ensure it remains very strong.”

The election will be held Nov. 5.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.