During the primary election on March 15, voters in Westerville and Blendon Township approved a permanent fire levy for the city's firefighters.
The levy was passed by wide margins in the city (64% to 36%), Franklin County (1,448 votes to 600 votes), the township (1,536 votes to 679 votes), and Delaware County (2,201 votes to 1,235 votes), with most of the votes counted.
The levy is a $2.8m measure that is expected to provide the fire division with approximately $3m in funding over the upcoming six years. The collection of the money to fund the levy will start in 2017, when the first property tax bills are sent out.
Brian Miller, the fire chief, said he was grateful that residents of the city, township, and county had voted to fund the department, and added that he looks forward to providing the quality and level of support to the community for the next six years that the fire service has done for the last six.
Miller explained that one of Westerville's fire stations was built 30 years ago, while another dates back 20 years. In addition, a great deal of the department's equipment needs to be reconditioned or replaced entirely.
City officials could work with a postcard printing company on a mailer to residents explaining how the levy will be used to improve fire service.
