COLUMBUS GROVE — You can’t walk around the fire trucks in Columbus Grove if the doors to the fire station are closed. And modern firetrucks aren’t getting any shorter.
Those are the main reasons voters in the newly formed Columbus Grove/Pleasant Township Joint Fire District are being asked to build a new $1.6 million firehouse with a 1.23 mill, 20-year levy during the Nov. 8 general election, one of the few new requests for money on local ballots.
“It’s a long time coming,” said fire chief Bob Brubaker. “It’s just something to help our town out. With our fire department and equipment, you just need a facility big enough that you can take care of your equipment and take care of the people in your town and your township.”
The fire district recently formed to help simplify taxation. There’s also a renewal levy on the ballot for 2 mills for five years, to maintain fire apparatus and equipment. Pleasant Township residents are already paying two levies that combine for the 2 mills that they approved in 2017 and 2020.
The fire department prides itself in taking care of taxpayers’ money, said Jeff Vance, Columbus Grove’s village administrator and the assistant fire chief.
That includes the proposed firehouse, which would be located on Sycamore Street on a village-owned lot between Clymer’s Wildlife Museum and Jerry’s car repair. The seven-bay building is slated to be 80 feet by 86 feet, with brick on the bottom and metal above to make it an attractive addition to the village.
“I guess in my eyes, it’s not the Taj Mahal of buildings,” Vance said. “It is going to be a nice building, don’t get me wrong. … It’s just going to serve its purpose, and that’s what we want it for.”
In Allen County, Delphos Public Library has a 0.6 mill renewal levy for current expenses. It will last for five years. Perry Township has a 1 mill, five-year renewal levy on the ballot for current expenses.
Auglaize County has no levies by municipalities on the November ballot.
In Putnam County, several municipalities have levies up for renewal:
• Putnam County Council on Aging has a 0.6 mill levy that replaces an existing levy and increases the millage. It would last for five years to provide services for senior citizens.
• Blanchard Township has a pair of replacement levies, one for 1 mill for five years for fire protection and the other for 2 mills for five years for road construction and repair. The replacement levies will collect millage at today’s valuations instead of freezing the total money raised at what it was when the levy first passed.
• Riley Township looks for a 0.75 mill, five-year replacement levy for fire apparatus and equipment.
• The Putnam County General Health District has a 0.5 mill, five-year renewal levy for necessary expenses.
• Jackson Township has an additional levy of 0.5 mills for five years for road repair. It also is asking for a 0.5 mill renewal levy for five years for current expenses.
• Jennings Township is seeking a 1.5 mill, five-year replacement levy for its fire department.
• Liberty Township is looking for a 1.25 mill, five-year replacement levy for fire services and EMS.
• The Village of Leipsic seeks two renewals, one for 0.6 mills for five years for current expenses and the other for 2 mills for five years for fire apparatus and equipment.
• Van Buren Township is looking to renew a 2 mill levy for five years for fire apparatus and equipment.
• Sugar Creek Township hopes to renew a 1 mill levy for five years for street, road and bridge repair.
• Pandora seeks to renew a 1 mill, five-year levy for fire apparatus and firefighters.
• Perry Township seeks a 3 mill, five-year renewal levy for road construction and repair.
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Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
