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Germantown speakers, council press voters to back May 6 Fire/EMS levy amid $700,000 shortfall
Summary
Residents and council members urged support for a proposed 4-mill, 10-year Fire/EMS levy on the May 6 ballot, saying the department faces a roughly $700,000 gap that could require cuts to hours and personnel.
Steve Bader, a Germantown resident and member of the Fire/EMS levy committee, told the City Council on Monday that the May 6 ballot will include a proposed 4-mill, 10-year levy to stabilize Fire/EMS operations.
Bader said the department faces an approximately $700,000 shortfall. "The current budget for FireEMS is $1,300,000. Without a new levy, our current levies produce $660,000," he said, and added the committee had hired a consultant and planned outreach including 4-by-8 signs, weekly newspaper articles, palm cards and a Facebook page labeled "Yes on 7." He said the committee would not place yard signs at this time.
The levy committee’s outreach, Bader said, also includes small public meetings and the possibility of a phone bank and poll presence to encourage turnout in a typically low-turnout May election.
Council members and the mayor spoke in support of the levy during the manager and council reports portion of the meeting. Council member King said Germantown’s emergency runs have increased and used that data to underline the levy’s need: "Our runs are up 25% since 2020," he said. Mayor Johnson and other council members described the levy as necessary to maintain current service levels and to retain experienced staff.
Council members noted the shift away from volunteers toward paid staff as one of the drivers for new funding. Council member Walson described that change and said the department previously relied heavily on volunteers but now needs more paid coverage.
The discussion included fundraising and community support: King and others thanked volunteers and community donors who have supported department purchases in recent years. No council action on the levy itself occurred at the meeting; discussion focused on public outreach and encouragement to vote.
The levy committee and council urged residents to review provided materials and to vote on May 6. The committee estimated the proposed generation of revenue and emphasized that without passage officials would need to cut hours of service and reduce staffing.
