PAYING A FAIR SHARE
On March 4, 2014 Valley Fire District along with mutual aid support from Richfield and Hudson Fire Departments responded to a fire at 6560 Akron-Peninsula Road also know at the Spicy Lamb Farm. This farm is one of the leased back farms from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This farm consisting of almost forty acres pays no property taxes in Summit County. Below is a listing of what should be paid if the property, with an estimated market value of $475,900.00, were paying taxes:
Summit County: $2,114.94
Boston Township: $79.95
Woodridge School District: $7,815.00
Village of Peninsula: $968.81
Metro Parks: $243.18
Akron/Summit County Library: $351.45
Valley Fire: $1,305.24
Union Cemetery: $166.57
Total annual taxes: $13,045.15
Almost immediately a plea went on Facebook seeking help to rebuild the buildings that were lost. According to lease agreements with the CVNP insurance on all buildings must be kept current. As an example when Valley Fire entered into a lease agreement with the CVNP for their current location on Dogwood Lane we had to maintain coverage for the leased building, the Benedict house. I am told that we have never been asked to document our coverage by the CVNP, however; it was stipulated in the lease and we followed the rules.
Chief Riedel provided the following documentation as to what this fire cost our community:
| Valley Fire District: | |
| 18 personnel 5 hours at $12.00 per hr. | $1080.00 |
| 1 fire engine 5 hours at $200 per hr | $1000.00 |
| 2 tankers 5 hours at $200 per hr | $2000.00 |
| Total: $4080.00 | |
| Richfield: | |
| 6 Firefighters $135.00 times 5 hrs | $675.00 |
| 1 Tanker 5 hours at $200.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $1,675.00 Total | |
| Hudson: | |
| 8 Firefighters $135.00 times 5 hrs | $675.00 |
| 1 Tanker 5 hours at $200.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $1675.00 Total | |
| Grand total: | $7,430.00 |
As a Boston Township Trustee and the township’s representative on Valley Fire District I am painfully aware of how much in property taxes our land owners are paying and how much we have to pay to support those not paying property taxes. Fire and police personnel are grossly underpaid. As you can see from the above figures our department is paid $12.00 per hour. When equipment needs to be replaced we must save years to buy a new tanker or engine. I can’t ask our tax payers, who are paying more than their fair share, to pay more.
We are required, by Ohio law, to provide services to CVNP properties. Our police must respond when mutual aid is requested and our fire department has to respond when needed. The difference is CVNP properties do not pay to utilize these services.
As I read over the list of donors contributing to the rebuilding of the Spicy Lamb I was saddened to recognize a few of the names of local people as well as JoAnn Fabrics. I will not support any business or person who has contributed to this effort.
It is time these properties at least paid for their share of local taxes.
| Amy Anderson |