Hillsboro finance committee meets Monday to discuss fire/EMS and city's financial status
The finance committee of the Hillsboro City Council meeting will meet Monday, May 21 at 6 p.m. to discuss the proposal on EMS/fire contracts submitted to the city by area townships, and the city's financial position.
Council member Peter Pence is the chairperson of the committee.
The meeting will be held at the Hillsboro fire station, 204 North East Street
On Wednesday, townships from Liberty, Jackson, New Market and Washington Townships submitted a proposal to Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings, which included the following:
• Offer of $30 per resident: Liberty: 3,637 $109,110; Washington: 1,123 $33,690; New Market: 1,888 $ 56,640; Jackson: 1,094 $ 32,820, for a total payment of $232,260.
• The contract will be for a three-year period.
• Gary Lewis, City auditor (allegedly) told a township trustee that 55 percent of the city income tax revenue received by the city of Hillsboro was paid by township residents, which amounts to approximately $482,350 (.4 percent of 1.5 percent income tax = $877,000. $877,000 x .55 percent -= $482,350).
• The EMS runs for the four townships for three months was 105 runs. This would total approximately 420 runs for 2012 (in 2011 the four townships had actual runs totally 521 runs).
[[In-content Ad]]
• $497,517 (2011 EMS revenue)/1,629/ (total EMS runs) = $305 per run.
• $305 x 521 runs = $158,905 total revenue from township EMS runs.
• City EMS runs accounted for nearly four times that of township runs.
• Services have been reduced due to the layoff of part-time and volunteer firefighters. Therefore, we are paying for full service and receiving reduced services. With the offer of $30 per resident, we would expect a fully staffed fire department to serve the city of Hillsboro and the Townships.
• $232,260 + $158,905 = $391,165 total revenue from the townships. In addition, $482,350 is received from township residents via the city income tax.
The city has until May 23 to respond to the townships' proposal.