Residents in Green Township will have the opportunity this election season to vote for a fire levy renewal that helps to provide and maintain the joint fire department with Concord Township, according to officials.

Recently, Green Township Trustee Ryan Corzatt returned a call about the levy to explain its importance to the citizens of the area.

“This is just a renewal, it is not an increase and this is just a fire levy we use to pay for the operations expense of our joint fire district (Concord-Green Fire Department) that we share with Concord Township,” Corzatt said. “If not for this levy, then the money to pay for this fire protection would need to come from the general fund, which would slowly decrease our overall general fund amount. This would keep us from maintaining roads, ditches, culverts and other maintenance we have to do. Obviously, the fire levy helps to offset the expenses from the fire department — and with having our local fire department it not only helps to protect our residents, but it also keeps their insurance rates down.”

Corzatt also said that it helps due to its close proximity as the residents do not need to rely on the city or other county township fire departments covering their area.

Concord-Green Fire Department Chief Ralph Stegbauer also talked about the levy recently and explained what they are looking forward to upgrading this year.

“Both townships work together and then we split up the costs depending on population and the percentages change a little back and forth, but Concord and Green both pay their share,” Stegbauer said. “We have a new rescue truck coming toward the end of the year to replace our old rescue truck. We have already paid for the chassis, we are just waiting for the truck to be finished up. That is being worked on now and is being done through All-American Fire Equipment, but we are waiting on it and are expecting it by about the first of the year.”

Finally, Corzatt joined the number of local leaders encouraging residents to vote on these important issues.

“It is good that they understand that this is not an increase to their taxes,” Corzatt said. “This is just a renewal for what is already in place. I know that any new increase is a burden to people — especially at these times — but this will not be an increase and will just renew what we have and what they have been paying for years. I definitely encourage people to get out and vote for it. This does help with operation expenses for the fire department which in turn keeps us from dipping into other funds to cover the fire department. It is their protection and in the end it is saving them money. We still have to use funds from other areas to cover the department, but this is a big help so we don’t have to take away from the other township repairs.”

Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy.