by Jeff Saunders
Editor
Nordonia Hills -- After their second meeting to discuss a joint fire and emergency medical service district Oct. 20, Northfield Center and Sagamore Hills Trustees said they would invite Northfield Village and Boston Heights to hear a Nov. 17 presentation. Also discussed was the possibility of placing a new 2-mill fire levy on the ballot as early as the September 2009 special election.
The group made no plans to ask the city of Macedonia to join in on the fire district talks, and none of the Trustees present would explain why.
"I think Macedonia is pretty much set up with what they have, and I don't know if there's any interest there," Sagamore Hills Trustee Rose Mary Snell said after the meeting. Snell later said she thought somebody was going to contact the city, but added "I don't know who."
Sagamore Hills Trustee Richard Barrett and Northfield Center Trustees Paul Buescher and Rich Reville declined to comment on whether the city would be asked to attend. Sagamore Hills Trustee Jim Hunt said he did not know why Macedonia is apparently being left out.
Reached late Oct. 20, Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta said he does not understand the latest development.
"Macedonia has a lot to bring to the table," he said. "I cannot for the life of me figure out what the logic would be. I guess that's politics."
Talks among the five communities over increasing fire and emergency medical service cooperation, which started two years ago, broke down in July after Macedonia officials took exception over comments made by Buescher in an e-mail newsletter. In the newsletter, sent to township residents, Buescher seemed to question the motives of Macedonia Fire Chief Tim Black, who had been a key figure in fire cooperation talks.
Trustees talk
about 2-mill levy
Sagamore Hills Township attorney Jeff Snell, who has been researching the formation of a district between the townships, said that according to the Summit County Fiscal Office, a 1-mill levy in both communities would raise about $488,500.
Northfield Center Fire Chief Robert Derrit said that based on his budget projections through 2013, a 2-mill levy generating about $977,000 a year, along with about $300,000 the communities together collect in ambulance billings, should be enough to fund a district covering Northfield Center and Sagamore.
Jeff Snell said a district is an independent entity with its own taxing authority and appointed three- to nine-member board of trustees.
Such a levy would be used in place of the townships' existing fire levies.
Because only a district's board can vote to place a levy on the ballot, the district would have to be formed first. Snell said that to fund the district in the interim, the townships could seek permission from the Summit County Court of Common Pleas to use the townships' existing fire levies.
The townships would cease to collect on these levies, provided that a district levy was approved.
Snell said it may be possible to hammer out all the details of forming a district in time for placing a levy before the voters in September 2009. Trustees had a mixed reaction to this.
Rose Mary Snell and Hunt said they believe it is doable.
Buescher said "It's possible," but added "everything is preliminary."
Barrett said he was dubious that this was realistic.
"That's too early for me," he said.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169