WORTH TWP — Representatives from local fire departments reacted Tuesday to the supervisors' decision to table a proposed fire tax that would have benefited their departments.

Representatives from Slippery Rock, Portersville-Muddy Creek and Scott Township volunteer fire departments all attended the meeting to further stress their services' need for funds.

The implementation of a fire tax had been tabled until further notice.

Fred Brezel, chairman of the board, said the supervisors chose not to implement the fire tax this year, but intend to instead give each of the three departments a $10,000 contribution for 2022.

“They need it,” Brezel said. “We can't incorporate the fire tax at this time; I think it'd be a burden on our township residents. It'd be an impact they couldn't cope with at this time.”

Slippery Rock Fire Chief Ryan Hanchosky said there was a possibility of the department withdrawing its services from Worth Township should the tax not be implemented — a response that Brezel said was unexpected.

“I was surprised by that,” Brezel said.

Mike Rodgers, chief of Scott Township's fire department, said the tax is necessary to keep departments in service.

“The word 'tax' scares me too,” Rodgers said. “My heart is with serving this community. We're just trying to preserve this.”

In an October meeting, the fire departments had proposed a 2-mill fire tax in the township. The tax was to generate $25,000 annually for the volunteer fire and rescue services. The amount would be divided among three departments and supplement the general budget.

Hanchosky said at the time that the tax had been implemented in Franklin Township and Slippery Rock with much success.

“Lots of municipalities are doing this already,” Hanchosky said. “We hope this will help the department financially in the long run.”

Hanchosky had noted how the tax could supplement the roughly $40,000 cost of new rescue equipment.

He recognized that residents might have stopped donations if the ordinance was passed, but Hanchosky said in October that the tax would provide guaranteed funds, which was a better alternative.

At the Tuesday meeting, one community member engaged in heated debate with Hanchosky over the possibility of overloading elderly people in the township with more tax.

Hanchosky explained that there isn't time within the department to knock on doors campaigning for funds.

Brezel said the discussion will be had again, but that right now is not the right time to implement the tax in the community.

During public comment, community members also expressed concern over the movie starring Christian Bale being filmed at Moraine State Park and how it could bring extra traffic to township roads.

The board then voted in favor of advertising its balanced budget for 2022 at the meeting's close.