Homeowners were asked to consider: to maintain the Groveland Fire Dept. with two fire stations. Having a 3.94 operating millage, second highest fire millage in the county. or consider merging as a 1/3 partner with NOCFA (North Oakland County Fire Authority) which currently serves Holly and Rose Townships at a millage rate of 3.25, a 17.5 percent reduction in cost. (Approximately $86 annually per household having a $250,000 value).

The surveys reflected some of the issues debated during a May 14 township meeting where the option of joining NOCFA and consolidating the fire departments was discussed due to a financial shortfall. Township officials say that over the last 10 to 15 years that given a fire department budget of $1.8 million only about $26,000 per year is left over. The funds are not enough to buy and replace firetrucks that cost $300,000 and ambulances at $115,000.

Many opposed the option vying to continue the current fire department and the two stations. Currently, township residents pay 3.94 mills for fire protection, or $394 each year in taxes for a $200,000 home. The fire funds were also supplemented by medical runs to other communities. The information regarding the possible change is available on the township Website, cable channel 10 and YouTube for residents to watch.

“We wanted public input on the fire department,” said Bob DePalma, township supervisor following the survey count. “The prudent thing to do is let the fire department implement changes (to rectify the shortfall) and evaluate what those changes are before we go any further. Then we can do an analysis to see what more needs to be done. But until we see what the dollar impact is on everything I think it would be premature to do anything else. Now we know about half the people are for it and about half against.”

One of the key changes in the fire department budget will be the replacement cost schedule for fire equipment. Under a proposed plan the dollar amount for the replacement has been decreased $212,000 to $71,000 per year.

“That’s a key factor,” said DePalma. “We think that plan is workable so that makes a big difference of what we have to come up with. The remaining parts that have to be evaluated is to see how the year ends up fiscally (for the township) after the auditor is done. We think it looks better than normal but we won’t know until it’s complete.”

The fiscal year ends in March and the audit is done sometime in August or September.

“Kevin (Mason, assistant fire chief) has other items including schedule and personnel that we think will help,” he said. “We need to give him time to do that.”

After more than 40 years of service, Fire Chief Steve McGee retired from the department on June 15.

DePalma is pleased with Mason’s plans to rectify the financial concerns.

“I think he (Mason) deserves the opportunity to implement those plans,” he said. We need to put Kevin’s changes in place and evaluate from there.”

Groveland Township resident Fern Ogans expressed her thoughts following the survey opening.

“In pursuing the ongoing issue of the fate of Station 1 of the Groveland Township Fire Department, I attended the opening of the surveys sent by the township to some Groveland Township residents,” said Ogans.  “While I have previously shared my complete dissatisfaction with the survey itself, I was very pleased with the procedures used in tabulating the results of the surveys.  The process was transparent and I certainly appreciated having an impartial party, Mr. David Fleet, right in the middle, doing the actual tabulation of each and every survey that was returned, resulting in complete confidence that we have a true and accurate accounting of the surveys.”

“I was also quite relieved that, even with an inadequate survey, Groveland residents clearly indicated their preference to keep Station 1 of the Fire Department in place by a nearly 6 percent margin – that would be a landslide if this had been an issue on a ballot,” she said. “Thank you to all the Groveland Township Residents who chose wisely to keep our wonderful fire department in place.”