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Montgomery Township board authorizes budget advertisement, proposes 11 full‑time firefighters and separate fire tax amid calls for independent study
Summary
Township staff presented a 2026 budget that includes hiring 11 full‑time firefighters funded by a proposed 1.15‑mill increase (advertised as a 1.71‑mill fire tax with the existing 0.56 mills shifted into the new line). Residents and the supervisor‑elect urged pausing permanent hires pending an independent staffing study.
The Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors authorized advertisement of the proposed 2026 operating budget on Nov. 24, a plan that includes hiring 11 full‑time firefighters and creating a separate fire tax line on property bills.
Township manager Carolyn McCreery presented the budget and supporting data during the meeting, saying the proposed staffing addition was included in the draft budget forwarded for public inspection and adoption on Dec. 15. McCreery said the 11‑hire scenario is intended to provide four firefighters per shift across four platoons. "Four shifts with four firefighters on a shift — that's how we came up with 11," a department representative stated during public Q&A, noting that current staffing (five firefighters plus chief and assistant chief) would increase to a 15–16‑person roster to maintain the shift model.
The budget presentation included township tax data: 10,182 taxable parcels, about $2 billion in assessed value, a current township…
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