Germantown speakers and council push for passage of May fire‑EMS levy
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Summary
Residents, members of a levy committee and multiple council members urged voters to approve a four‑mill, 10‑year levy on the May ballot, saying current revenue falls short of Fire & EMS needs and volunteer staffing has declined.
Steve Bader, a member of the Fire‑EMS levy committee and a Germantown resident, told the City of Germantown Council on Monday that the ballot measure set for May is critical to maintain current Fire & EMS operations. "We have to make up a deficit of $700,000. The current budget for FireEMS is $1,300,000. Without a new levy, our current levies produce $660,000," Bader said, urging support for the "4 mil 10 year levy."
Why it matters: Council members and residents said the levy would sustain emergency response staffing and avoid cuts to hours and personnel. Multiple council members cited rising call volumes and a shrinking volunteer force as evidence that existing funding is insufficient.
Bader, who identified committee plans for outreach, said the campaign is avoiding yard signs and instead will place 4‑by‑8‑foot signs in high‑traffic areas, distribute palm cards to local businesses, run weekly pieces in the Germantown Press and operate a Facebook page called "Yes on 7." "We are putting those out in all the businesses in the city," he said. He told council volunteers have done door‑to‑door outreach and small public meetings; the committee had also hired a consultant to assist the campaign.
Council members voiced support and highlighted operational pressures. "I appreciate everything that fire and EMS does," Councilmember Jones said. Councilmember King said service runs are up "25% since 2020," and described an erosion of the volunteer base that previously staffed night shifts. Councilmember Walson said the community-funded reserves that once supplied equipment have been exhausted and that paid staffing is now necessary.
Discussion versus action: The meeting recorded public comment and council remarks but did not include a council vote on the levy. City Manager Judy (first name given in the transcript) reminded residents the May election typically has lower turnout and urged people to vote.
Clarifying details from the meeting: the committee described the levy as a "4 mil 10 year levy" (as presented by the speaker); the Fire‑EMS current budget figure was stated as $1,300,000 with existing levy revenue of $660,000 and an indicated shortfall of about $700,000. The committee indicated some outreach tactics (4x8 signs, palm cards, a Facebook page named "Yes on 7") and said it had hired a consultant.
What’s next: The levy will appear on the May ballot; council did not take formal action on the matter at the meeting. Residents and committee members were encouraged to attend outreach events and to contact committee members for more information.
