Stokes Township trustees have placed a 0.8-mill, five-year replacement levy for fire protection on the Nov. 6 ballot.
If passed, the levy will generate $10,344 per year for the Stokes Township Volunteer Fire Department, which provides service to approximately 750 people in Stokes Township and the Village of South Solon in southwestern Madison County.
“It’s the same as it has been in the past,” said Stokes Township fiscal officer Joan Clemans of the levy’s purpose. The funds are used to cover utility costs, minor equipment repairs, and small equipment purchases, such as helmets.
“It’s not enough to buy large items, but it does help to keep things up-to-date for state regulations,” Clemans said, adding that the community has always been supportive of fire protection levies.
According to the Madison County Auditor’s Office, the levy’s cost to the owner of property valued at $100,000 is $24.50 per year—the same rate taxpayers have been paying for the past five years.
The Stokes Township Fire Department has 19 volunteer firefighters on staff. Charles Bauer serves as chief.
The Stokes Township trustees are Tom Hudson, Linton Kelley and Michael Porter.
