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To the editor:

Recently, directors of the 4th Fire District voted to increase the mill levy by 2 mills. The board believes the community deserves an explanation as to why the increase was deemed necessary.

The following are the three reasons why we voted for this increase:

Corrective repairs and routine maintenance of our fleet of specialized vehicles are happening more frequently, and the prices for these repairs are increasing.

As with all equipment and vehicles, at some point it becomes financially ineffective to continually repair them and, to that end, they should be replaced in order to stop wasting repair funds.

Facility maintenance cost is similar. As the facility ages, maintenance repairs become more frequent, and the cost is steadily increasing. An example of this is the heating and air conditioning, rollup doors, etc. Added to the concern of facility repair costs is the potential of seasonal flooding of the fire station, which creates its own set of costly repairs.

Safety and personal protective equipment such as boots, coats, gloves, hoods, etc. are specifically fitted to a person. These items have to be replaced with the recruitment of new volunteers and because of damage that has been incurred.

In closing, the board takes spending taxpayer money very seriously and continues to encourage the chief to research and apply for grants in an effort to offset costs to the public.

Julia Ensminger
Clerk and treasurer
4th Fire District