Vermilion Township voters will decide whether to approve an additional 3.35-mill continuous fire and EMS levy in the November 4 election. If approved, the new millage would combine with the township’s existing 1.65-mill levy for a total of 5 mills to support fire and emergency medical services, beginning collection in 2026.
The Necessity
Fire Chief Frank Triana, who has led the department for nearly 20 years, said the township’s current 1.65-mill levy has funded all operations, fire and EMS combined, since the township began running its own ambulance service in 2018. That levy generates about $224,000 per year, which Triana said no longer meets the department’s growing needs for staffing, maintenance, and equipment replacement. “We’ve been living off that 1.65 mills since 2018,” Triana said. “It’s just not enough to sustain both fire and EMS anymore.”
The Cost
If approved, the additional 3.35 mills would bring the township’s total to 5 mills, with a total cost of about $175 annually per $100,000 of assessed home value. For a typical Vermilion Township home valued around $300,000, that equals roughly $525 per year, or about $45 per month. “All EMS billing money will stay with EMS,” Triana explained. “That covers ambulances, supplies, and maintenance. The levy funds would go toward replacing fire trucks that are 27 to 34 years old and keeping daily operations stable.”
The Staffing
The proposed levy would also fund three full-time firefighter-paramedics, adding stability to a department that relies heavily on part-time and volunteer staff. “Our volunteers are dedicated, but on average, they only stay about eight years,” Triana said. “Full-time positions ensure consistent coverage and allow us to inspect businesses for safety, not to shut people down, but to help them stay safe.”
If the Levy Fails
Triana said that without the additional funding, response times could slip and equipment would continue to age. “Before we started our own EMS in 2018, people sometimes waited 30 to 40 minutes for an ambulance,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to prevent.” He added that if the township ever had to contract out emergency services again, residents could begin receiving direct medical bills for ambulance transport. “We’re tax-deferred now,” Triana said. “If we had to go back to an outside service, insurance might only cover part of the bill, and residents would owe the rest.”
A Matter of Preparedness
Triana said the levy isn’t about creating surplus; it’s about finally catching up. “We’re asking for what we truly need,” he said. “If, down the road, it turns out we’re collecting more than necessary, the auditor will see that, and I’ve told the trustees I’d be fine returning some of that back into the fund or reducing it.” He said the department’s goal is long-term stability, not excess. “This is about fixing years of underfunding so we can keep people safe,” Triana said. “We’re not going to waste a dime of it.”
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People are not able to afford all of this.
Seems like people not being able to make their home repairs pay their bills is catastrophic to them. The twp would take in over a million plus dollars. The schools are poorly managed the student where unprepared for higher education. More money being wasted will not fix that. They also will receive a lot more money,from the insane property tax increase. Voting No.