At the March 26 meeting, Allen Township Board of Supervisors discussed a draft ordinance giving volunteer firefighters a real estate tax break.

The ordinance would give volunteer firefighters a real estate property tax break, while a nonresident volunteer would receive a credit determined by multiplying Allen Township’s millage rate by the real estate tax value of the property and municipality where they live.

Volunteer firefighters who do not own property would receive an earned income tax credit. The township still needs to discuss what that amount would be.

Solicitor Lincoln Treadwell and township Manager Ilene Eckhart started drafting the ordinance in January.

Fire department President Jacob Schock proposed the earned income tax credit have a cap of $350. That amount comes from the medium of the Allen Township real estate tax of current volunteer firefighters.

Supervisor Gary Behler felt the program was “economic discrimination” because the credit is derived from how the firefighter is doing economically.

He suggested all firefighters receive $500 at the end of the year for their service. Supervisor Tim Paul and Treadwell said that would turn the township down the path of having a paid department.

No decision was made on the draft ordinance at this time.

The board also discussed a recruitment and retention program for volunteer firefighters. These programs were proposed by the fire department.

The first of these plans suggested $10 per call and training session, while the second proposed $1,500 after a year of service to the department. The board unanimously approved a motion depositing $50,000 in the fire department’s account for recruitment and retention.

In other business, the board awarded four bids to Mowhawk Contracting and Development LLC, ASL Refrigeration Inc., Albarell Electric Inc. and the Warko Group for renovations to the municipal building and fire complex.