Taxpayers will be pleased to know the Manhattan Fire Protection District has determined its tax rate will decrease after the board approved the 2026 levy at its October 20 board of trustees meeting.
“We started with 20’s extension at 0.9421, and we dropped that tax rate to 0.9004, and again, with another increase to values, that should potentially drop again to under 0.90,” District Accountant James Howard explained.
Howard provided a levy presentation to the board, which also included a historical review of the past year’s levies.
The fire district’s operations primarily run on property taxes, last year making up 76 percent of its total revenue. The tax levy is the total amount of funds the district can legally request from property taxes, and if a district levies more than 5 percent than the previous year’s taxes, a Truth in Taxation Hearing is required.
This year, the district will not have to hold a Truth in Taxation hearing, because it will levy just under the 5 percent that triggers a hearing. The total amount levied will be $7,461,000.
New growth coupled with an increase in equalized assessed values in the district made it possible to collect the revenue it needs to operate, while reducing the tax rate for district residents.
Howard explained the tax rate has steadily decreased, with the district’s tax rate pre-consolidation with just Manhattan at 1.0207, and then at 0.9398 in 2022 and 2023. Since the consolidation, the rate dropped further to 0.9004.
District Finances Beyond the Levy
Outside of the tax levy discussion, Howard reported loan proceeds are earning interest in the newly established Schwab account, and he will have more to report in the coming months.
Howard also provided an overview of the treasurer’s report for the past nine months ending on September 30. Overall, Howard reported the district’s finances and expenditures are in good shape.
Deputy Chief Dave Piper reported he just received news the district was awarded an AFT Grant for $99,999.
In other finance news, Chief Steve Malone reviewed the draft budget with the board, noting increases in insurance costs across the board, from workman’s comp to health insurance and general liability. Malone advised the board other districts are seeing even larger increases, especially with workman’s comp and health insurance, and he instructed the insurance broker to provide comparables to ensure they’re receiving the best rates.
Last year, the district used capital funds to update the other stations knowing the 2026 focus would be the construction of the new fire station. This way, the district wouldn’t be burdened with costly repairs and maintenance, while simultaneously building the new station, Malone explained.
Malone reported the only vehicle capital expense in the budget for the upcoming year would be two brush trucks for $775,000. He emphasized the district had planned for this expense, and it was part of the financial forecast.
Battalion Chief Bruce Boyle was happy to report the generator issues have been resolved; he initially had concerns they might have to replace the generator, but they were able to make repairs, making it operational and reliable. Facilities are in good shape, and the district currently is conducting preventative maintenance on the HVAC systems. Boyle also reported solid fleet reliability, and he noted the reserve fleet has been serving the district well.
Construction on the new fire station is moving along, and the district awarded the landscaping bid for the 21-acre public safety campus to Winters Landscaping. The district currently is working through the cost sharing IGA for the campus, along with transferring property, so he anticipates, as those decisions are made, the fire district’s actual cost for landscaping will be reduced considerably as they will not be funding the entire campus.
District Call Data, Training and Outreach
The district has been busy and, at the time of the meeting, it was on its 2,134 call for service. Piper reported nearly 20 percent of the time, the district is responding to multiple calls simultaneously.
Piper reported the district saw two combine fires in September, along with one structural fire. There was no loss of human life in any of the fires. The structural fire, unfortunately, resulted in the home being gutted and the death of three pets. On a positive note, crops were spared from the fires that destroyed the combines.
Piper also noted the district had one cardiac arrest, but CPR was administered immediately before EMS arrived and, as a result, they were able to achieve ROSC or return of spontaneous circulation. He reiterated the importance of CPR, noting every minute without CPR following a cardiac arrest results in an approximate 10 percent decrease in survivability.
Piper commended Fire and Life Safety Educator Jackie Palkovitz for her work in helping to train the public in CPR. Her report indicated the district made 2,945 in-person contacts, and five CPR training opportunities occurred, which resulted in certifying 11 individuals in either Heartsaver CPR or Healthcare Provider (BLS) CPR.
Overall, response times remain steady.
“LCC is doing really good. You guys remember when we started this, about two, three years ago, they were at three minutes and 30 seconds, when we first started. Now we’re down to a minute and 16 seconds,” Piper said of the reduced call times, indicating training has been successful.
Piper also noted pushout time is about one minute and 49 seconds. The district has a goal of responding in under two minutes. The total 90th percentile response time is 10 minutes 36 seconds.
Training is going well; the district is preparing for recertification in December, which is a new requirement from the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.
MFPD Fire Marshal Dave Kolosh reported he is maintaining contact with Will County regarding solar farm projects as they come up. He also is working with the villages to ensure codes are being followed, and noted the Village of Peotone will be updating codes to 2021 standards. Fire prevention and fire and life safety education efforts are going well.
District Seeks Public Input
The district is looking forward to its two stakeholder meetings for the public to attend and provide feedback about the district. This input will help contribute to SWOT analysis.
The first will be held October 27, at Peotone Fire Station 83, 7550 W. Joliet Road, Peotone, from 5 to 7 p.m. The second will be held the following day on October 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Manhattan Fire Station 81, 100 S Park Road, Manhattan.
For those unable to attend the meetings, the district is seeking feedback online. Visit https://manhattanfire.org/news/swot-analysis-survey/ to learn more about the SWOT analysis and complete the survey online.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.