Board approves adding unorganized township to Floodwood Area Fire District to reduce levy volatility

The St. Louis County Board voted to incorporate unorganized township 5221 into the Floodwood Area Fire District through a joint powers amendment, a change county officials said will smooth local tax impacts and align fire service governance.

Fire Chief Josh Lassela told commissioners the township has a very small population and an uneven property tax base; a recent large industrial fire removed a major tax payer in the township and would have driven next year’s direct bill to roughly $40,000 for the area. Chief Lassela said current members of the Floodwood district agreed to cap the county’s first bill at two‑thirds of that amount as a transitional measure. “If we were to make this change this year, we can help the residents of an organized township by actually reducing theirs by almost 2/3,” Lassela said.

County administration confirmed that the county acts on behalf of the unorganized township in this action and that the auditor’s office will provide notice to registered property owners; no objections were reported. The board approved the amendment by voice vote. The change moves the township from direct billed charges to inclusion on the district tax levy, which officials said will reduce volatility caused by the township’s low population and heavy industrial property valuations.

Under the new arrangement the county will hold a board seat and an alternate on the Floodwood Area Fire District board and residents will be covered by the district’s existing fire and EMS services. Chief Lassela said the district already provides fire services to the area and the joint powers amendment merely aligns funding and governance.