Excerpts from the Daily Herald:
In a move to address growing concerns about outdated equipment and insufficient staffing at fire stations in unincorporated areas, officials from the Fox Lake Fire Protection District are presenting a tax hike proposal to voters next month. According to Chief Ron Hoehne, the district urgently needs to hire at least three additional full-time paramedics and allocate more funds toward maintaining its aging fleet of vehicles due to an 8% surge in emergency calls last year. Currently, the district employs two full-time paramedics per shift at the stations located on Molidor Road in Ingleside and Main Street in Spring Grove. Each station operates three shifts, with paramedics working 24-hour rotations followed by 48 hours off. To meet the minimum staffing requirements, particularly at the Molidor Road station, adding one paramedic per shift is essential.
The upcoming referendum on the April 7 ballot proposes increasing the property tax rate for ambulance services from .133 to .350 per $100 equalized assessed value—a significant jump of 21.7 cents. If approved, this change would result in an approximate annual increase of $72 for homeowners with properties valued at $100,000, generating roughly $850,000 in new revenue for the fire district within the first year.
Residents of the village of Fox Lake won't be included in this referendum since they are covered under a separate three-year agreement. The fire district serves a population of 33,000 across 30 square miles, but only 22,000 residents outside the village boundaries will vote on this measure.
Chief Hoehne emphasized that this is the first time the district has sought additional funding from taxpayers since implementing the current ambulance tax back in 1978. Over the years, home values have plummeted, leading to reduced tax revenues. Between 2008 and 2013, the district's equalized assessed value decreased dramatically from $580 million to $396 million. Furthermore, the number of emergency calls has continued to rise since 2013.
"We had to dip into our already limited reserves just to cover last year's expenses," Hoehne stated. "While we're currently managing to break even, any unforeseen major incidents or costly repairs to our equipment could severely impact our operations."
The district maintains a fleet of 26 vehicles, which requires increasingly expensive upkeep as these assets age and face higher utilization rates due to the uptick in emergency responses. Should the referendum pass, the Fox Lake fire district's ambulance tax rate would align with what neighboring communities like Fox River Grove, Long Grove, Lake Villa Township, and Lake Zurich charge for comparable services.
Thanks to everyone who shared their insights—especially Dan and Ron!
This additional context highlights the critical challenges faced by the Fox Lake Fire Protection District and underscores why securing voter approval for this tax increase is so vital.
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