NELSON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The "ink is dried" on the deal that turned over the Sand Lake Fire Department to Nelson Township, though the township's ability to pay for it depends on an upcoming election.
On May 5, voters in Sand Lake and Nelson Township will decide whether to approve a four-year millage increase of 1.5 mills to provide additional funds to the fire department. If passed, the tax levy would likely raise around $315,000 in its first year of existence, according to the Kent County Clerk's Office.
"I definitely need it to pass. I have no problem saying I need it to pass," Nelson Township Supervisor Robyn Britton said. "As a personal resident of Nelson Township, I will be voting yes."
Notably, a millage for the fire department, set at 0.5 mills, is already in place in the township and is set to expire in two years. So, the millage increase would at least temporarily bring the millage rate to 2.0 mills.
"If all goes well," though, Britton says the township would not renew the already existing tax levy, allowing the millage rate to fall to 1.5 mills after the former's expiration.
"There's nobody that hates paying taxes more than me," she said. "At the end of the day, I only want to do what is going to sustain the fire department."
How did we get here?
On Friday, Britton sat in a crowded meeting room as the Sand Lake Village Council — most of whom were appointed that evening — accepted Nelson Township's offer to purchase the Sand Lake Fire Department.
In exchange for full ownership of the building that houses the department, as well as its engines, equipment and additional funds set aside for the department, the township will provide fire services to the village for the next ten years with the option for renewal every five years.
The agreement came after a lengthy dispute over the future of fire services in the area.
Three months ago, the Village of Sand Lake announced it would stop offering fire services to Ensley, Nelson and Pierson Townships after it was unable to reach a "unified, long-term solution" with them at least party due to cost.
In the months that followed, firefighters for the Sand Lake Fire Department threatened to quit if the three townships weren't included in a future plan, the townships began to look into the possibility of forming their own department and the majority of the Sand Lake Village Council resigned.
Then on Friday, with its fire services agreement set to expire at the end of the month, the remaining council members for the village appointed new council members and the full board unanimously agreed to accept Nelson Township's offer to take over the fire department.
Kent
Village council votes to sell Sand Lake Fire Department to Nelson Township
"We never set out to have a fire department because, frankly, it was going to be a hit to our budgets," Britton said. "It was going to be a hit to Ensley and Pierson's budgets, but we were given no choice. We had to have fire coverage for our residents."
Meanwhile, the newly appointed board had its first full meeting Monday night.
It was a special called meeting to review and approve the village budget.
The board unanimously approved it as another indication of unity among the new board.
Now, their time on the board could be short lived if Sand Lake and Nelson Township voters in May vote to disincorporate the village.
If that happens the board would cease to exist and all land would absorb into Nelson Township.
Funding a new fire department
On Monday, Britton told me the new department — which will carry over all firefighters employed by Sand Lake and cover all three townships in addition to the village — will be run with "equity," using a "fair formula" to determine how Ensley and Pierson Townships will pay for coverage.
"Whatever a township can afford to do, that's what they're going to be able to do," she said.
In the long-term, Britton says the three townships are better suited to support the fire department, though in the short-term the department is in need of new engines and equipment, a bill that will be mostly paid by Nelson Township.
"We're struggling right now because this has all gotten thrown at us," she said. "I mean, these guys are going and they have to have the equipment."
A new fire truck and a new medic truck will likely cost around $1.2 million, according to Britton, and after the acquisition of the fire department and its funds, she says the township has "more than half" of this amount saved.
If the millage increase is passed, adding around $300,000 annually, Britton says the remaining cost, an estimated 20-25% of the total bill, will likely come from grassroots fundraising efforts and grants.
"It's going to take a lot, but we're going to get there for sure," she said.
On Saturday, Britton volunteered at a pancake breakfast at Lakeside Inn in Sand Lake where proceeds were donated in support of the new fire department. Others have sold shirts and and stickers, including Stray's General in Ensley Township, which also started a penny drive.
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Convenience store raising money for future fire department in Sand Lake area
"I want to partner with my communities," Britton said. "I believe that Ensley and Pierson and the Village of Sand Lake — we have to put this behind us and move forward and really do what's best for our residents, because that's what we were all elected to do at the end of the day."
