MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Miami Township Fire and EMS Chief Matt Schumann leads a crew of nearly 50 first responders across three different firehouses.
In April, Schumann met with WCPO's Valerie Lyons, who asked how it felt when residents rejected the November levy.
"Defeat, for sure," Schumann told Lyons.
Fast forward about six months, and it seems Miami Township changed its mind.
The levy on the ballot for the township's Fire and EMS was approved by voters. Results show that more than 1,100 residents voted yes on the ballot.
"It was a big relief," said Miami Township Administrator Jim Brett.
Watch to learn more about what the approved levy will do for fire and EMS crews in Miami Township:
Brett told us the levy's money will be available in early 2026, equating to approximately $1.66 million.
WCPO broke down the financial implications for taxpayers in April. The 4.5-mill levy translates to an additional $158 for each $100,000 of assessed value.
Both township leaders said they spoke with residents concerned about the levy's effect on their property taxes and wallets.
“We understand this is a tough time to ask people for money," Brett said.
“I’ve had several folks say to me like, 'Listen, I really support you and we’ve even used your service, but we’re on a fixed income, we can’t afford any more taxes,'" Schumann said.
Each expressed their gratitude to the voters deciding to send a helping hand to their local first responders.
“My message to the community is thank you," the fire chief said.
The fire chief and township administrator told us the levy is primarily going to personnel.
“This will prevent us from having to lay anyone off," Schumann said.
The chief told WCPO's Sam Harasimowicz that his teams currently have 24 people on staff full-time, along with 25 part-time staff members. Schumann said he's looking to add six more full-time employees to fully staff Miami Township's Fire and EMS department.
Over the past several months, Miami Township FD and EMS have had to close certain stations when staffing was low, especially on weekends. Both the department and the local fire union would update residents on which station would be closed through social media.
“We’re going to continue to train, we’re going to do outreach and make sure our community is the safe community that it always has been," Schumann said.
Any interested applicants can find more information from Miami Township here.
