BUTLER TWP — Firefighters at Butler Township’s three volunteer fire departments will learn later this month how much money they will get from the township for 2016.

The three volunteer departments — stations 3, 6 and 7 — gave short presentations to township manager Ed Kirkwood and commissioners Sam Zurzolo, Dave Zarnick and James Lokhaiser Jr. on Wednesday night.

The presentations highlighted spending plans and how the departments would like to see hundreds of thousands of dollars in township contributions split up among them.

For 2015, the township’s $328,420 contribution among the three departments was split 22-22-56, with the largest percentage amount — $183,915 — going to Station 3, which was created in a merger of the former Meridian, Lyndora and Greenwood Village departments.

Representatives from stations 6 and 7 both said their fire companies would like to see a higher percentage of the township’s contribution flow into the departments in 2016 — citing the need for improvements and repairs on their buildings as well as equipment upkeep and purchases.

Ken Lawrence, a representative from Station 6, said he “understand(s) the need for some additional funding in Station 3,” but would like to see a 30-30-40 percentage split among the departments.

A representative from Station 7 said the department wanted an even split of the public money among the departments.

Dave Bestwick, an assistant chief at Station 3, said the department responded to more than 400 emergency calls in 2015 and serves 87 percent of the township’s commercial districts and 71 percent of its residential zones.

Bestwick said the station would be happy to maintain the current funding split, but questioned whether reducing Station 3’s portion further was wise.

“I would question how we run 70 percent of the calls and serve 70 percent of the township with 40 percent of the funding,” Bestwick said.

Kirkwood said there would be no deliberation on the department’s requests until the municipality’s Feb. 15 meeting but that he was “100 percent” sure that commissioners would render a decision on the funding at that time.

According to the township’s 2016 budget, the municipality’s expected total contribution to all three departments for the year will be $338,275. That money is disbursed in quarterly payments, Kirkwood said.