By: Amy Wendt
The Archbold Village Council met on Monday, December 19 with a short agenda.
Present during the meeting was Jason Vasko of Hawthorne Drive, who wished to address to council following a Facebook post that he made questioning why there was a “20% income tax increase and a 12% cost increase to the township for fire service if we voted 23% income tax for public safety.”
Vasko thanked Kathy Rupp for providing the information that he requested. “I was not aware when I asked the question (on Facebook), because I couldn’t find any information on it, that none of the money from the income tax goes to fire services…I still am a little confused as I thought Archbold was a volunteer department.”
It was clarified by Mayor Brad Grime that Archbold has full-time paramedics and EMS.
Village Administrator Donna Dettling added that they are all dually credentialed firefighters.
“All the EMS folks are either Firefighter 1 or Firefighter 2.” The Fire Department has a total of 10 paid employees, eight on 24-hour shifts and 2 full-time 40 hours per week.
Dettling continued, “82% of all the costs are attributed to EMS and 18% is attributed to fire.”
“We do have a specific contract with German Township that lays out what the village will do and what the township will do.”
“The township funds the fire department. All of German Township pays for the fire service. We do the same thing similar with EMS, but we get the money from the county.”
“We have to shore up the difference when that $750,000 isn’t enough,” Dettling explained.
“So that’s what we used some of that money for, the .3% as well as covering police and EMS that we were trying to shore up.”
After receiving clarification, Vasko replied “I do apologize, and I will definitely be taking it down.”
“My intent was to try to gather more information, it wasn’t really to stir up the pot.”
Also approved during the meeting:
- Council minutes of December 5, 2022.
- Approve bills & payroll in the amount of $723,066.75.
- Ordinance 2022-73 Amending Appropriations Ordinance No 2021-94 and declaring an emergency.
- Resolution 2022-74 authorizing the 2023 Annual Renewal of the Agreement for a Countywide Emergency Management Agency and declaring an emergency.
- A motion to adopt the 2023 council meeting schedule was accepted.
Meeting minutes from December 12, 2022, Planning Commission meeting were reviewed.
It was noted that there is a new tenant at the Elaine Leininger building on the corner of S. Defiance Street and E. Mechanic Street and the tenant will be making exterior improvements to the building.
Council discussed curb improvements that need to be made at that location as well.
In council comments, there was also a brief discussion about the possibility of looking at water line replacement in the future.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:30 pm.
Amy can be reached at amy@thevillagereporter.com
