JACKSON — The 2015 budget in each of Jackson’s four fire districts was approved by voters in the Feb. 21 fire district election.
In Fire District No. 1, which is served by the Whitesville Fire Company, the 2015 budget was approved by a vote of 38-3.
According to documents provided by the fire district to the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the budget totals $615,902. Of that amount, $532,800 will be covered by the collection of taxes from property owners in the fire district. Officials will use $63,000 in unrestricted surplus as revenue in the budget.
The fire district tax rate will increase from 10.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in 2014 to 10.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in 2015. The owner of a home assessed at the current township average of $325,216 will pay about $354 in fire district taxes in 2015 (up from $331 in 2014).
Fire district officials said the two incumbent fire commissioners who ran unopposed — Clarence Aldrich and David Johnson Sr. — were re-elected to their positions on the Board of Fire Commissioners with 35 and 37 votes, respectively.
In Fire District No. 2, which is served by the Cassville Fire Company, the 2015 budget was approved by a vote of 49-9. According to DCA documents, the budget totals $1.2 million, with $1.13 million to be raised through fire district taxes.
The budget includes a $23,000 increase from 2014 as a result of contractual obligations such as salary increases and hospitalization premiums.
Fire district officials said they will not need to dip into the surplus account and they are not planning to sell any assets.
The fire district tax rate in 2015 will be 7.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and the owner of a home that is assessed at the township average of $325,216 will pay about $244 in fire district taxes.
Voters elected incumbents Vinny Rubio and Keith Wickham to the Board of Fire Commissioners. Rubio received 39 votes, Wickham received 40 votes, and challenger David Van Arsdale received 21 votes.
In Fire District No. 3, which is served by the Jackson Township Fire Co. No. 1, the 2015 budget was approved by a vote of 132-92.
According to fire district officials, the 2015 budget totals a little more than $3 million, with a $2.6 million tax levy to be collected from property owners in the fire district.
Other revenue comes from fire bureau income, $135,236; a $3,257 fire services grant; $1,000 in interest earnings; and $20,000 from the anticipated sale of old furnaces. Officials will use $265,000 in surplus funds as revenue in the budget.
The tax rate for Fire District No. 3 for 2015 will be 10.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and the owner of a home that is assessed at the township average of $325,216 will pay about $341 in fire district taxes.
Voters elected Dan Bradley and Rudy Brito to the Board of Fire Commissioners with 179 and 161 votes, respectively. They earned their spots on the board by defeating incumbent Commissioner Mike Fatovic, who received 26 votes; Ronald Seaman, who received 25 votes; and former Commissioner Cliff Jordan, who received 39 votes.
In Fire District No. 4, which is served by the Jackson Mills Fire Company, a $1.54 million budget for 2015 was approved by a vote of 97-90.
The budget will be supported by the collection of $1.5 million in fire district taxes. Other revenues include earned interest and income from the fire bureau.
The fire district tax rate for 2015 will be 6.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and the owner of a home assessed at the current township average of $325,216 will pay about $221 in fire district taxes this year.
Voters elected incumbent John Bollington and Philip Goldman to the Board of Fire Commissioners with 114 and 95 votes, respectively. They outpolled Steve Fostek Jr. and incumbent John Sherry, who received 60 and 79 votes, respectively.