A public hearing will be scheduled some time in March 2010 to inform citizens about a proposed new fire protection territory that would include the town of Bristol, Washington Township, and part of York Township.
This is the same geographic area covered by the current Bristol Fire Department (BFD), which now, as an independent nonprofit corporation, contracts with the three jurisdictions for fire and ambulance services. The new proposal would make some changes in the way taxes are levied and revenue is raised for the fire department.
Tax issues related to the proposed change are overseen by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF). The DLGF recognizes two methods of organizing fire departments for taxing purposes, namely, as Fire Protection Districts and as Fire Protection Territories (FPT).
While the two methods are similar, one difference is that the former (district) can be initiated by a petition of two percent of the landowners affected, while the latter (territory) can only be initiated by the political entities involved.
The FPT must meet the requirements of Indiana Code 36-8-19, one of which is that one of the participating governmental units must be designated as the “provider unit.” The provider unit is responsible for providing fire protection services, for establishing a FPT fund, and for preparing an annual budget.
The issue of the “provider unit” is still under discussion regarding the proposed Bristol area fire protection territory. Fay Kemp, chief of the BFD, would like to see Washington Township be named the “provider unit,” while some representatives of Bristol would like to see the town perform that function. Interested citizens might want to attend the February 18 meeting of the Bristol Town Council, where this matter will be discussed.
Kemp favors the change to a territory, because it will foster a needed increase in revenue for the BFD, and because it will make budgeting easier for future fire protection needs.
Bill Wuthrich, Bristol town manager, is neutral on the subject of the “provider unit,” but supports the move to a fire protection territory, because it will remove the cost from the town budget and spread the tax burden evenly among those receiving fire protection.
All parties agree that taxes may go up slightly, perhaps only temporarily, for property owners. This is one of the subjects that will be presented and discussed at the public hearing in March. Residents are urged to watch for a notice of that meeting.
UPDATE: Due to the expected larger audience, the town board meeting for Feb. 18 will be held at the Bristol Library at 7 PM.
