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Franklin fire chief announces retirement as department warns of funding shortfall
Summary
Fire Chief Tony Aberbach told the Village Council he has tendered his retirement and said the department faces a second consecutive year of underfunding tied to reduced millage revenues; volunteers and fire officials asked council to approve language for a Headlee override to appear on the November ballot.
Fire Chief Tony Aberbach announced at the July 13 Franklin Village Council meeting that he will retire effective Aug. 28 after more than 27 years as chief and roughly 32 years with the department. Aberbach, who spoke during the council's administrative reports, said the department has been unable to meet budget requests for a second straight year because revenues from dedicated millages have fallen short.
The chief said the department missed contributions to its reserve fund that cover apparatus replacement and capital expenses, and noted rising equipment costs: "Our ladder truck purchased in 2014 at $920,000 to replace that today would be close to $2,000,000," he said. He told trustees a five-member committee involving Franklin and Bingham Farms will develop a five-year plan for service levels and transition arrangements.
Why it matters: The fire department is a contract agency for Franklin and relies on dedicated millages and mutual aid. The council and residents heard that absent additional revenue, the department could face equipment and staffing strains that would affect service levels and long-range planning.
At public comment, volunteer treasurer Rick Kozlowski told the council the department faces a roughly $135,000 shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year: "$35,000 for operations and a $100,000 for equipment replacement," he said, and asked that council approve language for a Headlee override to appear on the November ballot so voters can decide whether to restore millage funding. Council and staff acknowledged an attorney deadline for ballot language submission in August.
Council reaction and next steps: Trustees asked staff to bring a discussion of a Headlee override and a fire-department deep dive to the finance committee in August. Aberbach outlined near-term needs: continuing transparent communication about operational capabilities, completing a Medicare enrollment to increase EMS transport billing revenue and passing knowledge to a successor to preserve continuity. "Communicate. Open communication is the primary need," he said about transition priorities.
The council did not take immediate action on a ballot placement at the meeting; trustees directed further study and scheduled follow-up at committee level.
