DELHI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Delhi Township Fire Department is looking to voters for help.
A proposed levy on the May ballot would help fund the department, which is currently facing a deficit of around $1 million, for four years.
“Everything is much more expensive,” said Doug Campbell, chief of the Delhi Township Fire Department.
Campbell said the proposed levy would bring in an additional $2.3 million. It’s a 3.2-mill levy, which would cost homeowners $112 per $100,000 of their homes' appraised value each year.
WATCH: Delhi Township Fire Chief Doug Campbell discusses financial challenges and the goal of the proposed levy
“Everything from as simple as outfitting a brand new firefighter with uniform, gear, SCBAs and equipment all cost a lot more than it did in the past,” Campbell said.
In 2023, Delhi Township voters passed a 1.99-mill levy to help fund the fire department. That levy, which was supposed to fund four years, only covered the first year of expenses.
Campbell said that's why they’re asking for a larger levy this time around.
He said the department's largest cost increase has been insurance. Although they have not increased their full-time staff, Campbell said the insurance has gone up 77% since 2022.
“The township is self-insured. The more claims we have, the more issues that we have medically, those costs are all drivers,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the township has been seeing more insurance claims across the board, not just from the fire department.
In 2005, a proposed funding levy failed. Campbell said the failure of that levy led to consequences that impacted the entire community.
“What it amounted to was we had an average daily staffing of five people in Delhi Township. We had five firefighters protecting the whole township,” Campbell said.
Campbell said if this year's levy does not pass, the department could face a situation similar to that of 2005.
Are you a Delhi Township resident who would be impacted by the proposed levy? Marlena wants to hear from you. You can contact her here:
He said 85% of the budget for the department goes toward personnel.
“(Personnel) happens to be the biggest area susceptible to cuts,” Campbell said. “When you cut personnel, you close stations, you brown out companies and in doing so, it increases response time, fire loss.”
Campbell told us he doesn’t believe they would have to close any stations, but does say they would be severely understaffed, leading to lower quality in service, longer response times and more fire losses.
He urged voters to do their research before hitting the polls.
“(Voters should) educate themselves on what it costs, both in terms of quality of life and cost at the ballot. I think that means the world to me,” Campbell said.
You can learn more about the Delhi Township fire levy here.
