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Council delays decision on five-year fire contract after heated levy debate
Summary
The Ellsworth City Council discussed whether to lock in a five-year contract with local fire districts that could double district payments next year; members agreed to wait until districts complete required R&R hearings and township budget votes before finalizing any contract.
The Ellsworth City Council discussed a proposed five-year contract with two local fire districts at length and took no formal action, saying it will wait until the districts complete required R&R (rate-and-record) hearings and township budget votes before finalizing any agreement.
Public commenter Jeff Linden opened the exchange during public comment, urging cooperation among the city, townships and neighboring departments and stressing the role of volunteers. “Everything that we do is 100% done by volunteers,” Linden said, asking leaders to renew a “sense of working together” to ensure fire and rescue protection for residents.
City staff described a long-running contractual arrangement that appears to have relied on automatic one-year renewals for decades and said a lapse in administrative renewal contributed to the current discussion. Staff noted the fire districts recently filed R&R notices that, once processed, will set levy amounts that are effectively “locked in” for next year absent further action. “They can’t make any more money for next year,” a staff speaker said, describing statutory and timing constraints the districts face.
Council members debated whether to accept a multi-year contract the districts and some township representatives said they had relied upon verbally, or to adopt a year-to-year agreement that would permit closer annual review. One council member argued a five-year contract would “give us time to compile that answer” and allow staff to collect data; others warned that a long-term lock-in could obligate future councils and remove oversight.
Multiple speakers cautioned against verbal commitments and urged drafting formal written contract language. Council members agreed to await the districts’ R&R hearings and township budget outcomes (staff referenced hearings in August) and then to have the city attorney prepare or review any proposed contract. No vote or contract adoption occurred at the meeting.
The council said it will place the item back on a future agenda for formal consideration once the districts’ budget and R&R outcomes are known.
