Rural Fire Authority municipalities to phase out wage reimbursement.

Rural Fire Authority municipalities to phase out wage reimbursement.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief. 

SCOTTVILLE — The municipalities within the Mason County Rural Fire Authority will be phasing out reimbursement of firefighter wages within the next three years; at the end of the phase out, the fire authority will cover wages through the 1 mill it collects from taxpayers.

During its regular meeting Monday night, the Scottville City Commission voted to phase out the wages. City Manager Amy Williams said the other municipalities that make up the fire authority are expected to follow suit.

Currently, the municipalities reimburse the fire authority for 50 percent of wages. In 2018, the reimbursement will drop to 30%; in 2019 it will be 10%; and then the fire authority will assume all wages beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

In 2017, Sherman Township and Meade Township had refused to pay for their share of reimbursement. Williams said the refusal was a result of a disagreement on billing and since those two townships have agreed to pay the fire authority wages and will pay the 2017 wages as well.

The municipalities in the rural fire authority include the City of Scottville, villages of Custer, Fountain, and Free Soil, and the townships of Victory, Amber, Riverton, Summit, Grant, Custer, Eden, Meade, Free Soil, Sherman, Sheridan, and Branch.