Antioch fire district lobbying for tax hike
Drivers on Grass Lake and Deep Lake roads are seeing the latest attempt by the Antioch Fire Protection District to garner support for a tax increase.
This week, the district has posted signs at two of its three stations saying "No Personnel on Duty," in an effort to let residents know that without a tax increase, the district can't be protected around the clock.
"The goal is not to instill fear or panic," said Lt. Chris Lienhardt. "But we felt like we needed to let people know when they drive by the station, people are not in there."
In April, about 56 percent of voters in Antioch Township rejected a referendum request that would have increased the tax rate from 19.8 cents per $100,000 of equalized value to 30 cents.
On Feb. 5, voters will be asked to increase the tax rate to 40 cents to provide around-the-clock staffing in downtown Antioch and one of the substations either on Grass Lake or Deep Lake road.
"The demand has outweighed our supply," Lienhardt said, adding that after much debate, district members decided on the 40-cent rate, which is the state cap.
If approved, the owner of a $200,000 home will pay an extra $80 the first year. That homeowner now pays about $130 annually to the district.
The Antioch Fire Protection District is a 90-member department staffed by volunteers who are paid on call.
Antioch's downtown station is staffed daily.
"We have to rely on people being in town," Lienhardt said. "The distance members have to travel and the time it takes us to get there work against us."
Lienhardt said that since the signs went up Tuesday there have been numerous phone calls to the village, township office and fire protection district members.
The district is planning public information sessions and will be sending out information.
Lienhardt said if the referendum request doesn't pass, the department will still respond in a timely manner, which is actually a double-edged sword.
"If we didn't respond to a call, there would be a public outcry and people would push for a change," he said.
"But there are 90 men and women in the Antioch community who at a moment's notice will put everything on hold to respond to the need. We've never had a lapse in service that would make people say, 'Wait a minute, what do you mean you didn't come?'"
After three tries, the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District got its referendum request passed in April 2005.
That year the district posted signs at its three substations bearing such messages as "What's a life worth?" and "Station closed."
"Whether that was the reason it passed or not, I don't know, but the signs were very effective," said Jeff Sedlack, president of the Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District. "This is a life-or-death situation; it is that simple. The signs got everyone's attention and gets the point across."