By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The Mason County Rural Fire Authority millage increase was approved by voters during the election Tuesday, Aug. 5. The new rate of 2 mills passed 1,292 to 841. Free Soil Township was the only municipality to vote against the request.
Authority officials say the current tax rate no longer was enough to provide adequate coverage to the 16 municipalities it serves. The current millage rate generates about $742,000 annually. The new rate of 2 mills will generate just over $2 million in the first year.
Results by precinct were:
- City of Scottville: 75-42
- Amber Township: 221-117
- Branch Township: 118-64
- Custer Township: 106-96
- Eden Township: 59-41
- Free Soil Township: 80-81
- Grant Township: 133-43
- Meade Township: 20-4
- Riverton Township: 94-93
- Sheridan Township: 112-82
- Sherman Township: 83-57
- Summit Township: 83-50
- Victory Township: 108-71
Some of the issues that are expected to be addressed with a millage increase include needed station repairs, personnel wage increases, training wage increases, equipment replacements and maintenance, and the hiring of full time personnel.
The Mason County Rural Fire Authority was formed in 1996 after the Mason County Board of Commissioners chose to eliminate funding of fire service in the county, a responsibility it had shared with the county’s townships, villages and cities since 1947.
The fire authority is governed by a five-person board appointed by the 16 elected boards of each municipality. Four of those board members represent geographical areas while one serves at-large. The authority also employs an administrator, Dale Goodrich, a retired Michigan State Police trooper and instructor who also serves as a seasonal marine patrol deputy for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.
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