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Germantown Hill residents will be paying more in taxes to the Germantown Hills Fire Department next year.
Taxpayers, earlier this year, approved a referendum to provide ambulance service in the village. To fund that service the board of the Germantown Hills Fire Department last night passed a new tax levy increasing the levy by 87.5 percent. The levy will jump $295,000 to $631,000.
When the board met last night it was a contentious crowd that trustees Greg Harman and Bruce Mathes faced. President Mark Pierce was absent.
About 40 people were in attendance at the Truth In Taxation meeting.
The majority had one overriding question on their minds — Can the fire department work on contracting with Emergency 116 to provide paramedic service rather than creating a new paramedic service from scratch.
Residents in attendance said they have been hearing the board is contracting with the Eureka Fire Department to provide paramedic service. Many asked if that was a "done deal." Some asked if the door was still open to work with Metamora-based Emergency 116 which now provides ambulance service to Germantown Hills.
Harman seemed to signal that was possible.
"There has not been a commitment to any organization at this point," he said. "It has to go before the board before it is approved."
Harman then said taxpayers have to realize a lot is being negotiated behind the scenes.
"That's the problem," someone in the crowd called out.
Look for an expanded version of this story including a photo gallery and video next week in the print edition of the Woodford Times and at www.woodfordtimes.com.
Germantown Hill residents will be paying more in taxes to the Germantown Hills Fire Department next year.
Taxpayers, earlier this year, approved a referendum to provide ambulance service in the village. To fund that service the board of the Germantown Hills Fire Department last night passed a new tax levy increasing the levy by 87.5 percent. The levy will jump $295,000 to $631,000.
When the board met last night it was a contentious crowd that trustees Greg Harman and Bruce Mathes faced. President Mark Pierce was absent.
About 40 people were in attendance at the Truth In Taxation meeting.
The majority had one overriding question on their minds — Can the fire department work on contracting with Emergency 116 to provide paramedic service rather than creating a new paramedic service from scratch.
Residents in attendance said they have been hearing the board is contracting with the Eureka Fire Department to provide paramedic service. Many asked if that was a "done deal." Some asked if the door was still open to work with Metamora-based Emergency 116 which now provides ambulance service to Germantown Hills.
Harman seemed to signal that was possible.
"There has not been a commitment to any organization at this point," he said. "It has to go before the board before it is approved."
Harman then said taxpayers have to realize a lot is being negotiated behind the scenes.
"That's the problem," someone in the crowd called out.
Look for an expanded version of this story including a photo gallery and video next week in the print edition of the Woodford Times and at www.woodfordtimes.com.
