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Delhi Township fire chief warns of widening budget gap, urges voter support for levy
Summary
Delhi Township’s fire chief told trustees a combination of rising personnel and equipment costs and largely flat levy-based revenue has created a multi-year funding gap; he urged voters to approve a ballot levy in the primary to avoid station brownouts and longer response times.
Chief Brown told the Delhi Township Board of Trustees on April 8 that the fire division faces a persistent budget gap driven by increases in health insurance, workers’ compensation and equipment costs and that the department will place a funding levy on the primary ballot.
Brown said the department is on pace for roughly 1,100 runs this year and reported an average 911-to-on-scene time of 5 minutes, 34 seconds. He showed a long-term projection the department uses that contrasts steadily rising expenses with largely flat levy revenue, saying that without new revenue the gap could widen to nearly $1 million in coming years.
"Can you afford not to?" Brown asked the board, framing the levy as a choice between maintaining current service levels and risking reductions in coverage. He described personnel as the biggest budget driver — "personnel make up 85% of the total budget" — and warned that significant cuts would lead to 'brownouts' (partial station closures) that lengthen response times and increase fire loss.
Brown cited specific cost increases for protective equipment and breathing apparatus, saying bunker gear that once cost about $3,000 now approaches $5,000 and that SCBAs run $11,000–$12,000 each. He explained the limits on local discretion for some expenses, including state-mandated pension contributions and health-care costs tied to staffing levels.
Trustees thanked Brown for what several called a clear and thorough presentation. Trustee Sevy said the presentation underscored the importance of communicating facts to residents and encouraged people with questions to contact staff directly rather than rely on social media. The chief and administrator also rebutted online claims that fire funds were spent on unrelated projects, saying that no fire EMS funds were used for DTS/Viridian work.
Brown said the proposed levy would not immediately increase revenue for 2026 operations (collections would begin in 2027) and asked trustees to support outreach explaining the levy’s purpose and the department’s service levels.
The board did not take a formal vote on policy during the meeting; Brown invited residents to contact the chief, the administrator Skyler, or trustees for details.
