MARIETTA TWP. — Three proposed tax levy replacements for Marietta Township dealing with fire and emergency medical services are on the ballot in the upcoming election.

Reno Fire Chief John Bradford said the intention is to update levies that have been in place since the 1990s.

Bradford said the way the levies are worded on the ballots might cause some confusion.

The wording on the ballot says each proposed levy is “a tax for the benefit of Marietta Township for the purpose of providing and maintaining fire and emergency services…”

Bradford said he had changed the wording of the proposed ballot measures to make it more clear, but the changes could not be implemented in time.

“To me, it can be very confusing,” Bradford said. “It reads ‘fire and EMS’ and that is not the case.

“It is really misleading. It should have been fixed. It is only fair to the taxpayers and voters who are voting on it.”

Quoting numbers he got from the Washington County Auditor’s office, Bradford laid out how each of the three replacement levies came out and what people could expect to pay.

The 0.5-mill levy for each $1 of taxable value listed on the ballot is for fire service. It was last updated in 1997.

The fire levy currently brings in $46,000. If the replacement levy is approved, it will bring in $71,000. Homeowners with property valued at $100,000 have been paying around $10 a year for that levy. Under the proposed replacement levy, they would be paying $17.50 a year, an increase of $7.50.

The other two replacement levies are for two people to be providing 24-hour emergency medical service.

The 1-mill levy for each $1 of taxable value listed on the ballot was last updated in 1997.

It brings in $92,000, which would increase to $132,000 if the replacement levy is passed. The owner of a $100,000 home is paying $20.33 a year and would pay $35 a year under the replacement levy, an increase of $14.67.

The 1.6-mill levy for each $1 of taxable value on the ballot is for the other EMS person. It was last updated in 2012.

The current levy brings in $160,000 annually. The proposed replacement levy would bring in $216,000 a year. Homeowners who have a $100,000 property have been paying around $35.34 a year, which would go up to $56 a year under the replacement levy, an increase of $20.66.

Bradford said the increase for each levy could basically cover the cost of a meal or two out for one or more in a household.

The EMS service costs around $$390,000-$400,000 a year to operate, including insurance, supplies, repairs and worker’s comp costs. As it stands, they have to make up $200,000 with other funding sources outside the levy.

“It cost a lot to do that,” Bradford said.

That makes it hard for the department to save for other expenses. They have a fire engine that is 34 years old and will need to be replaced.

The cost of a new engine has increased by $300,000 in the last five years. A truck that cost $525,000 five years ago now costs around $850,000.

“We can’t get ahead,” he said.

“We are the busiest volunteer fire department in Washington County,” Bradford said. “Last year, we had 1,200 EMS and fire calls. That is extreme for a volunteer fire department.”