Manor Township supervisors (L-R) Tag Hecker, Bob Southworth, and Don Palmer voted to standardize the fee charged property owners for fire hydrants.
Manor Township supervisors voted last week to modify fees charged for fire hydrants that are in proximity to various properties.
“We have done a complete audit of all the fire hydrants,” Supervisor Chairman Don Palmer said. “We have identified all the residents that should be paying taxes on fire hydrants. We have found well over 300 of them that were not paying.”
Palmer said the initial assessment took place in 1958. At that point, it was 3.7¢. It was established as a way to recoup monthly costs for the hydrants.
“We have been paying the difference for it out of the General Fund because it has been running short. So we are going to raise the tax slightly. It comes out to $16 per year per property that is benefited by a fire hydrant located within 780 feet.”
Palmer said the Township had to supplement the costs by as much as $14,000 per year. Because the fee has not brought in enough revenue, it has pulled from the $56,000 that one mill of tax brings in to the Township.
Palmer said by standardizing the rate, it would create a different outcome for each property.
“You are going to see that some people are going to see an increase. Others will see a drastic decrease. There are people paying $59-$65 per year for hydrants while another person is paying 67¢. It has been a wide range. This will make it self-sufficient again.
“It looks like to us that the initial system was put in, and then there were all kind of water line extensions over the years. It doesn’t look like any of that was added in,” Palmer surmised.
Palmer said that he and Township Secretary Jill Davis walked throughout the water system lines in the township to audit each fire hydrant.
There was no date announced when the fee would be assessed or when it would be due.