A major topic of discussion at the Lowhill Township Board of Supervisors in-person and virtual regular meeting April 7 was the new fire tax.

During the discussion on the fire tax, resident Larry Shaw was the first to address the board on the issue.

“I would like to know what fire companies will benefit from this tax and how much revenue will each of the fire companies get?” Shaw asked.

“We have not raised any taxes in this township since 1982 that I remember,” Chairman Richard Hughes said. “The fire companies that it handles, I will let Brian do that because he is the fire chief with Weisenberg.”

Administrator Brian Carl said the township is split into five districts – Fogelsville, Tri-Clover, Germansville, Schnecksville and New Tripoli because Lowhill Township does not have a fire department.

“What they do is they get a contribution of $1,000 per emergency call that they are dispatched to or any call that is in their primary district,” Carl said.

He said the goal with the fire tax is to have $100,000 of revenue.

Shaw then questioned the board on why it was 0.44 mills, which he said is two-thirds of his regular township tax.

“That is what the board came up with,” Hughes said. “We do not have a lot of people in the township, so we have to generate enough money to make it work.

“We are paying that money out any way. It is coming out of the budget. If we have to raise taxes to get it, there is not much else we can do. They come to us every year and we pay them. We cannot do it anymore; the budget is just not there.”

Shaw then asked the board if the fire tax is going to keep going up or if it will remain the same.

Carl said when the board did the projections on the tax, the last year’s data they had was from the 2020 fire company call volume.

“Next year’s distribution will be based on this year’s calls. So, if there are 110 fire calls in 2022, somehow, we are going to have to come up with $110,000 even though there is only $100,000 coming in from the fire tax. So that is why we try to have a little cushion to absorb something there,” Carl said.

“We think this will hold for quite a few years but again it is like Brian said,” Hughes said.

“We have been fortunate that in all these years the fire companies have served us well and they have done a great job and it is hard for them to get volunteers now,” he added.

The next resident to address the board was Diana Valois.

“I cannot help but wonder when you are going to have a tax for police?” she asked.

Solicitor Keith Strohl said it is an issue at the state level.

“That has been in some of the annual budget proposals that they have been trying to throw together. We will not have any control over that,” Strohl said.

“We will not have control over that, but we can talk to [state Rep} Gary Day, R-187th. He can help us out on that,” Hughes said.

“Will there be any accountability from the fire companies of how they use the money?” Valious asked.

“They do not have to give us a report or anything. We can request a report,” Carl said.

Strohl said under the state the board can request it.

“I think if we are giving them money we should,” Hughes said. “I think that is what we should do.”

During the administrator’s report, Carl reported on the [Bear Road] bridge inspection meeting. “For the most part it is decent. There are some deck issues and some guardrail issues here and there and some signage things.

“Nothing is that important that it is going to require a bridge shutdown or a posting to get lowered. This is the cleanest inspection we have had in several years.”

Under old business, the board awarded the repairing of the front steps and landing at the township building to Seither Masonry, of New Tripoli, for a quote of $6,320.

Under new business, Hughes said the board received two bids for their materials for 2022.

He said one was for New Enterprise Stone and Lime and the other was from Lehigh Asphalt.

Lehigh Asphalt was awarded the bids for 1,000 ton of 9.5 mm wearing course 0.0 - 0.3 SRL-L paving material for roads at a price of $70.25 per ton, 500-ton No. 57 stone at a price of $15 per ton and 350 ton of anti-skid paving material which is mixed with rock salt for roads at a price of $21.95 per ton delivered.

New Enterprises was awarded the bids for 2,000-ton 19 mm any ESAL Any SRL top coat paving material for roads at a price of $58.60 per ton, 20-ton QPR crack sealer at a price of $143 per ton, 200-ton No. 4 stone for a price of $18.35 per ton delivered, 900-ton No. 8 stone at a price of $22 per ton and 1,500-ton 2A stone at a price of $10 per ton.

Also under new business, the board approved the multi-municipal oil bid opened by Weisenberg Township to Midline Asphalt Materials Inc., at a cost of $2.62 a gallon.

The municipal joint line painting bid was awarded to A-1 Traffic Control Products LLC at a cost of $5.28 per mile.

The township’s next regular board meeting is scheduled 6:30 p.m. May 5 in the municipal building and via Zoom.