Atchison County discusses adding Grasshopper Township area to rural fire district as township pays $1,000 annual support

Atchison County commissioners on March 27 discussed portions of Grasshopper Township that receive fire response but are not included in any local fire taxing district, and a recurring $1,000-per-department payment the township currently sends.

John Edson, president of the Edson County Rural Fire District No. 2, told commissioners that Grasshopper Township sends the district $1,000 “every year for coverage of part of Grasshopper Township,” and that the portion his department covers is roughly “2 miles north and south and … 8 miles east and west.” He said the payment has not changed since he joined the department in 1997.

The discussion followed a recent fire in the area that drew multiple departments, including Effingham, Lancaster and Everest. Edson said the single response “spent above and beyond a thousand dollars just on that one fire,” and noted the mismatch between who is receiving services and who pays taxes for fire protection.

A county official explained the legal process for adding land to a rural fire district in Atchison County: owners of at least 10% of the land area to be added must file a petition, a public notice must run so other residents can object, and the Board of County Commissioners makes the final decision. “They cannot just say we’re going to change the district. There has to be a petition filed by owners of land, 10% of the land located in the areas that you’re seeking to add,” the official said.

Commissioners and the fire district discussed alternatives: continuing the township’s $1,000 annual payments to multiple departments, asking the township to increase the payment, or pursuing a boundary change so the area becomes part of an existing rural fire district and subject to a fire tax. Edson said the district would prefer to retain its existing boundary but acknowledged expanding the district to include the un-taxed area would make taxation and service parity clearer.

As a next step, county staff agreed to provide a list of property owners in the affected area and to help draft petition forms for landowners who decide to seek inclusion in a district. A county official told the board they can assist by providing a form and the list of owners needed to meet the 10% petition threshold.

There was no formal vote by the commission on the matter during the meeting; commissioners directed staff and district representatives to continue exploring the petition route and to follow up with township trustees and property owners.