Valpo, Center Twp. study fire territory idea

VALPARAISO | The issue of whether to form a fire territory for all of Center Township, which first came up a year ago, is back on the table and could be introduced at Monday's City Council meeting.

Valparaiso City Administrator Bill Oeding said a decision would have to be made this week to complete all the legal steps needed to create the territory by the April 1 deadline in the state law.

The territory would be governed by a board to oversee the operation of the fire service for both the city and township.

The portion of the property taxes now collected by each entity for fire protection would be combined into one levy that would go to the board. Valparaiso would provide fire service as it does now, but it would be under the auspices of the board.

"What's driving this is, in the current model, it is increasingly difficult to find resources to continue the protection at the level we've become accustomed to," Dave Hollenbeck, attorney for both the township and the city, said. "The fire territory could make a few more dollars available. To what extent there is a monetary advantage, that is still a work in progress."

The city fire department provides protection within the city limits and, through a contract with the township board, for the unincorporated portion of Center Township. The city hired financial consultants H.J. Umbaugh and Associates a year ago to look at the pros and cons of forming a fire territory.

Oeding said the study made no recommendations, and both sides decided to take a little more time to think about it before making a decision.

Hollenbeck is researching the technical aspects of the law to determine all the steps required. A decision has to be made soon to proceed because public hearings have to be held before it is approved. April 1 is the deadline in order to make the changes in the property taxes.

"Others have started the process and abandoned it," Hollenbeck said. "We're still in the process to see if it makes sense."