HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Huntington Township Fire Department is asking voters to renew a 1-mill fire and EMS levy on the Nov. 3 ballot, telling residents in a detailed Facebook appeal that current funding is not enough to keep up with the cost of staffing, apparatus repairs and equipment replacement.
In 2025, the department responded to 861 calls for service within the township, not including mutual aid, according to the department: 702 EMS calls, 102 fire calls, 53 crash responses and four search-and-rescue or other calls. The department covers 59.6 square miles and serves about 6,099 residents.
Huntington Township currently operates on 4.5 mills spread across three fire and EMS levies, the department said. A 1.5-mill EMS levy, originally passed in November 2015 and made continuous in November 2017, generated $116,404.06 in gross revenue in 2025. A 2-mill fire and EMS replacement levy, passed in November 2022 and also made continuous, generated $215,062.10. The 1-mill levy on this year’s ballot — a five-year levy passed in November 2022 that expires Dec. 31 — generated $83,721.15 in 2025. Combined, the three levies brought in $415,187.31 in gross revenue last year, the department said.
The department emphasized that the levy on this year’s ballot is a renewal, not a new tax, and would not generate revenue beyond what it already provides. Officials said the measure is about sustaining current operations rather than expanding them.
Without dependable funding, the department said, maintaining staffing will become difficult, and keeping fire trucks and ambulances in service will be a challenge because of aging apparatus and the cost of maintaining and replacing lifesaving equipment.
The department pointed to a 2024 levy attempt that was defeated by 269 votes, a result that cost the department about $72,000 in annual funding, according to its fiscal officer. Officials said the loss illustrates how closely the department’s finances can hinge on the outcome of a single election.
The department also thanked the Colburn family and the Fields family for donating this year’s levy signs.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Huntington Township Fire Department.
