BATAVIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Voters in Batavia Township will decide on the May 5 ballot whether to approve a levy to establish a new township fire department and exit the Central Joint Fire-EMS District, which currently provides fire and EMS services to the township and the village of Batavia.
If approved, the township would dissolve its participation in the joint district, removing the existing district levy from residents’ property taxes. The new township levy would then take effect.
The proposal follows the narrow failure of a separate levy request by the Central Joint Fire-EMS District in November, which sought additional funding amid rising call volumes and operational challenges.
Batavia Township Fiscal Officer Jennifer Haley described the measure as a “7.9 mil levy ask to bring our own fire department on board under the auspices of the township,” which would also dissolve the joint district.
Township officials have cited concerns over funding disparities, response times and growth in service demands—call volume has increased 71% since the district’s formation in 2002—as reasons for pursuing an independent department. The levy would also support building a new fire station.
Passage would increase taxes by approximately $150 per $100,000 of a home’s appraised value.
The township has been providing information on its website, including FAQs, noting that if successful, the new department would begin hiring staff effective Jan. 1, 2027, with the new levy appearing on the February 2027 tax bill and the joint district levy removed.
