VERNON TOWNSHIP — The state has given its approval needed for a new fire protection territory in Vernon Township to receive tax funds to eventually provide the level of service officials say the area requires.
In June, the township’s board along with town councils in Fortville and McCordsville approved the Vernon Township Fire Protection Territory, which includes both towns as well as the township’s unincorporated areas.
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance approved an initial operating levy of almost $3.76 million for the fire territory in late July.
Some Vernon Township property owners’ taxes will increase to raise the funds needed for the fire territory. In its first year, the territory will cause Vernon Township’s district tax rate to increase 24.1%, Fortville’s to increase 16.3% and McCordsville’s 19.3%, but property owners will only pay more in taxes if their properties are not already at the state’s tax caps.
Debra Carnes, Hancock County auditor, said anyone whose taxes will be impacted by the fire territory will see that impact starting with their 2021 tax bills.
Florence May, Vernon Township trustee, said the territory won’t start receiving funding until next summer, and won’t see the full funding from the change in the levy for two years.
“So on one hand I’m really excited, because this gives us the foundation to build the fire department that we should have in Vernon Township,” she said. “However, I do worry there will be misconceptions that the solution is instant. It’ll take some time for the effect of this to be felt. We will still have part-time firefighters; we will still have our equipment funding issues; we still will not have a (24/7) station in McCordsville for quite some time to come, but this puts us on the path to fix those things.”
The Vernon Township Fire Department has a station in Fortville that’s manned 24/7 and a station in McCordsville that houses fire trucks. The department is staffed by paid part-time and paid-per-run firefighters.
May said she’s grateful for backing from leaders with the township, towns, Hancock County and the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation.
“They all stepped up and supported public safety at this moment, because without every single one of them coming together, I don’t think this would’ve happened,” she said.
Greg Brewer, a McCordsville Town Council member who serves on the fire territory’s board, said he was ecstatic to learn of the state’s approval.
“The priority for us is to really get the service up to the standards that we need for the amount of population it’s going to serve,” he said of the fire department.
That means having the financial standing to replace aging equipment, hire full-time firefighters and one day build a fire station that can be manned 24/7 in McCordsville, Brewer continued.
“Those are the goals and I think with this funding we’re going to be able to achieve those,” he said.
