City considers reductions in manpower, operation expenses to accommodate $126,000 revenue loss

The city of Hillsboro is looking at all options to absorb an estimated $126,000 loss in revenue after Paint Township declined to contract with the city for EMS and fire services and joined the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District.

Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Richard Giroux told The Highland County Press that a combination of "operation expenses and probably manpower expenses" will be looked at to cover the revenue loss.

Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis previously said that Paint Township was the second largest source of income, behind the city of Hillsboro, when it came to paying for EMS and fire services. The city will lose an estimated $126,000 in 2012 revenue now that Paint Township is no longer contracting for the services.

The Paint Township trustees voted 3-0 on Thursday to join the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District, and Friday during a special session, the fire district's board of trustees voted to allow Paint Township to join. The district took over emergency services at 12:01 a.m. on April 1, and have installed a temporary substation in the Paint Township building off U.S. 50.

Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins, legal counsel to the townships, said that the city of Hillsboro has said that as of 2013, the townships that contract with them for fire services - Hamer, Jackson, Liberty, New Market, Paint and Washington townships - will either be a part of a fire district the city has proposed forming, or they will have to go elsewhere for services. There have been no hard figures released on a levy for the proposed Hillsboro fire district, but Paint Township Trustee Steve Karnes had previously said it was expected to be between 5 mills and 5.2 mills.

April 1 was the deadline for townships to contract with the city for the emergency services.

Collins said on Monday that Hamer, Jackson, Liberty, New Market and Washington townships have signed contracts for services will Hillsboro for 2012, and that discussions regarding the formation of the fire district are ongoing.

April 1 was the deadline for townships to contract with the city for the emergency services.

Giroux said the city administration is looking for ways to balance the 2012 budget again, without having to compromise the level of service provided by Hillsboro Fire and Rescue.

"Within the scope of our services, there will have to be some reductions, and we'll see some savings by virtue of not having to to travel that far out to (to Paint Township) to provide services," Giroux said. "We'll look at budget reductions, which would be a combination of operating expenses and probably manpower expenses. We're not saying there will be any service reductions, but if you've got somebody to cover runs out to Paint Township and that is no longer needed, and if the distance on runs being made is much shorter, and the firefighter/EMTs are returning to home base much quicker, we could cut down on extra manpower. We're certainly going to look at that and what can be done with the schedules. All the options are on the table right now."

If there are layoffs, Giroux said they would most likely be part-time and volunteer positions.

"Common sense would dictate we'd have to take a look at the part-time and volunteers, which are on a supplemental basis," he said.

"The bottom line is, we'll make the budget work," Giroux said.

While there are still questions that remain on the proposed fire district, regarding who would be members, the service area and the costs, Giroux said that keeping up a standard of excellence for EMS and fire service is the goal of everyone involved.

"I can say that, relatively soon, we are going to have a concrete format, and more concrete numbers, and we're looking for ways to get to that point," Giroux said. "Ultimately, our main concern is the residents of Hillsboro and how this affects them, and at the same time, providing good quality fire services, available to the community at the most cost-effective rate.

"The work product of the fire and EMS is excellent," Giroux said. "I don't think anybody is debating that, or questioning their level of service or the quality of service. We want to make sure that when the dust settles, the quality maintains a high standard. But it has always been, in my opinion, really an equity situation of who is paying, and that there is a fair share across the board for the same level of service. This has been an issue that has been going on for decades."