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Ferguson supervisors move to repeal hydrant fee and draft dedicated fire protection tax
Summary
After public input and staff review, the board voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance repealing narrowly applied fire-hydrant assessment provisions and to draft a township-wide special fire protection tax ordinance, with staff asked to propose offsets and options for credits back to previously assessed property owners.
Ferguson Township’s Board of Supervisors voted on October 20 to direct staff to prepare two ordinance drafts: one repealing the township’s current fire-hydrant assessment language (Chapter 7, Part 2, sections 202–204) and another creating a dedicated special fire protection tax to fund fire services.
The actions followed staff presentations and public comment that included a resident’s request for clarity on legal authority. Township staff told the board that public outreach — two input sessions and a survey of about 341 responses — showed many residents were unaware of the existing hydrant assessments. The manager reported that the hydrant fund contains a surplus and that staff would prepare options for returning funds or reallocating them toward the township’s contribution to regional fire services.
Supervisor Omari Patterson moved to direct the manager to prepare and advertise an ordinance repealing the hydrant assessment sections; the motion was approved by a voice vote. Patterson then moved to direct staff to prepare an ordinance establishing a dedicated special fire protection tax (he suggested example figures in discussion, such as 1.1–1.2 mills) with offsets to existing taxes; after debate about timing and offsets the board approved that motion with one dissent (Mister Heller).
The board also asked staff to return options for compensating residents who were assessed under the previous hydrant fee (staff noted about 4,900 parcels were affected) and to analyze administrative steps and timing for any changes that must be advertised before adoption. Staff said it would analyze whether surplus funds should be refunded, used as seed funding for a new restricted fire fund, or split between both approaches.
The manager clarified that adopting a dedicated fire protection tax would create a restricted fund restricted by law to fire-related spending (staffing, equipment, maintenance) and improve transparency compared with the current assessment. The board directed staff to prepare ordinance language, cost/offset scenarios and examples of potential credits and to return with those options before the budget adoption deadlines.
What’s next: staff will draft both ordinances and present options for offsets, credits, and the logistics of implementation at upcoming meetings so the board can consider formal public hearings and adoption before the end-of-year budget schedule.
