Antioch Fire Protection District trying again for tax increase

They've been shot down four times in a row, but Antioch Township Fire District officials are optimistic voters will approve their latest request for tax increase.

Voters will decide Apr. 7 on a request by the First Fire Protection District of Antioch Township to fund 24-hour firefighter staffing at the stations. The money will also be used to purchase "advanced life support" equipment. The proposal has been defeated four times in a row.

Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Vandevoorde feels more hopeful this time around.

"We know the economy is really horrible right now, but there won't be any other competition from other referendums on the ballot," he said.

There hasn't been any organized opposition to the previous referendums, but they still didn't pass. A fact Vandevoorde finds frustrating.

"This will be the first tax increase we would have in 90 years," he said. "The district has been fiscally responsible and safety is our only concern."

If this referendum is approved, Vandevoorde said, it would cost about $150 annually for the owner of a $200,000 home. The tax rate would rise from 18 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation to 40 cents in the first year.

The proposal is identical to the question defeated on the November ballot. No public forums are scheduled, but an informational mailing is planned.

The number of rescue calls has increased to nearly 1,000 per year from about 400 calls 10 years ago within the village of Antioch and Antioch Township. And that is stretching the limits of the department, Vandevoorde said.

In addition to the downtown station, the district has two firehouses on the fringes of its 35-square mile coverage area. The second station is at Deep Lake Road and Depot Street; Station 3 is at Grass Lake Road and Route 59.

Vandevoorde says approval of the referendum would allow both to be staffed with six part-time firefighter/paramedics 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They would be paid $12 per hour with no benefits.

The First Fire Protection District, is one of three entities serving the Antioch area, including the village of Antioch Fire Department and the privately funded Antioch Rescue Squad.

If the referendum fails again, officials will have to wait a year and a half before they get another chance to put it on the ballot.

"This is a big hurdle," he said. "But it will pass sooner or later."