The White Lake Fire Authority is busier than ever with service calls, and the cost of serving the community has increased a great deal over the past three decades.
That’s why the WLFA is asking voters to approve an increase in the property tax millage rate for department operations.
But the new millage rate would actually be a tax cut for property owners in the City of Whitehall, Whitehall Township and Fruitland Township, the three partner communities in the Fire Authority district.
That’s because a special 1.65 property tax levy, approved by voters four years ago to construct the new fire station on Duck Lake Road, is about to expire. That leaves only the current 1.5 mill operations levy, which is also about to expire.
Fire Authority officials will be asking voters to approve 2.25 mills for department operations in the May 7 election. That would be a significant hike in the tax rate for operations, but an overall decrease from the combined 3.15 mills that were being levied over the past four years for operations and the new station.
“We’re asking for less than what it’s been for the last four years,” said WLFA chief Pete McCarthy. “Overall, it will be a decrease from what taxpayers are paying now.”
2024 is a big year for the WLFA in a number of ways.
In the past, the city of Whitehall had its own fire department while Whitehall and Fruitland townships contracted with Whitehall or Montague for fire services. That changed in 1994 when the three communities joined together to form the independent White Lake Fire Authority, which is governed by a board comprised of representatives from the city and the two townships.
The original articles of incorporation, which created the WLFA back in 1994, had a lifespan of 30 years and had to be renewed this year.
The Whitehall city council, as well as the Fruitland and Whitehall Township boards, have all voted to maintain their membership in the Fire Authority, which means it will continue to exist for at least another 30 years.
“We all came together so we could do this a little more efficiently by combining our resources,” McCarthy said about the successful history of the WLFA.
The original 1.5 millage rate to support WLFA operations also had a lifespan of 30 years.
The new millage request will only be for 15 years, because needs and costs can change quickly, and 30 years is a long time to wait to increase revenue, according to McCarthy.
“We realized over the course of 30 years that so many things changed and we fell behind the eight ball,” the chief said. “That’s one reason we had to go out for a special millage to build the new fire station. The operating millage was just not enough.
“Moving forward, if we need to increase the rate for operations, there will be a shorter window of time to wait.”
The new operating millage rate that’s being requested – 2.25 mills – would produce about $1.3 million in the first year, which would be enough to keep pace with rapidly increasing costs, according to McCarthy.
The higher costs are related to both inflation and a growing number of service calls in the WLFA’s district.
“We would like to renew at 2.25 mills based on the community’s growth and inflation in costs and services over the past 30 years,” McCarthy wrote in a letter to Whitehall Township board members. “We have more than doubled the amount of calls for service over that time, and a fire engine is now seven or eight times more expensive than when the Authority was formed in 1994.
“In 2023 we answered 1,251 alarms over the 54 square miles that we protect,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy added a number of factors have contributed to the increase in emergency service calls over the past three decades.
“In the ‘90s we probably had around 300 calls (per year); now it’s more than 1,200,” the chief said. “There has been growth in the area, and there are more people. It’s a pretty elderly population now, and they struggle with mobility and have more medical concerns. We have quite a few car accidents, and on Saturdays (during the summer) Michigan’s Adventure doubles our population. Howmet has more than 3,000 employees, many of whom commute into our area.
“It’s probably pieces of all those things. We’ve been busier the last couple of years than we ever have been.”
The increased revenue from the new millage proposal would provide better service to residents, McCarthy said. It would allow the WLFA to add two new full-time employees, which would result in having both fire stations staffed around the clock by two firefighters.
Currently only Station 1 in the city of Whitehall is staffed 24 hours per day. Station 2, on Duck Lake Road, is not currently staffed around the clock.
“We would have two people on duty full time at each station,” McCarthy said.
