By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Timing can be everything in an emergency.
So the City of Bowling Green is asking voters to support a levy that would build two new fire stations and decrease emergency response times in the community.
Voters will see the 0.15% income tax increase on the Nov. 4 ballot.
“We don’t make that request lightly,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said last month. “I’m very mindful about how this could impact people’s personal budgets.”
But keeping fire and EMS response times down in the expanding community is essential, the mayor added.
“Investment in public safety is necessary,” he said. Quick response times are a service Bowling Green residents have come to expect and deserve. “Within minutes, literally minutes, someone will be there.”
The 0.15% income tax increase will cost approximately $75 a year for those with a family income of $50,000.
“I think it’s a good investment,” Aspacher said.
As a member of the Fire/EMS Levy Committee, former mayor Dick Edwards spoke in favor of the ballot issue.
“We know all too well that the difference between life and death in a fire/EMS emergency is often measured in minutes, sometimes seconds,” Edwards said. “The goal in BG is always to reach most citizens in four minutes or less, and this levy will help to make that optimal response time possible for nearly 90% of the homes in BG.”
Passage of the levy would support the construction of two new fire stations, and the continued use of the Pearl Street fire station.
“We have spent considerable time looking at every aspect of the levy and its implications for the future of the City of Bowling Green,” Edwards said. “We have been particularly concerned about the dramatic increase in demand for emergency services. It is projected that in 2025, the demand for emergency services will surpass 4,000 calls.”
As the city footprint continues to grow, the city must meet those fire and EMS needs – as well as plan for the years ahead, Aspacher said.
“It’s responsible for us to anticipate what the future needs will be,” he said.
“It’s a responsible plan,” Aspacher said. “I hope people understand the benefit for the entire community.”
The city’s plan is to cease using the Court Street fire station due to multiple deficiencies, continue using the Pearl Street station on the city’s west side, build a satellite fire station at Carter Park on the east side, and build a new northern station and headquarters on Newton Road.
The city entered into a gift and purchase agreement for a site on Newton Road, just to the east of the BG Community Center. Under the agreement, the city will pay the current owners, Robert and Patricia Maurer, $240,000 for the 4.26-acre site. The property had an appraised market value of $639,000, but the Maurers agreed to gift a portion of the property to the city.
“We’re able to purchase this at well below the property value,” Aspacher said.
Using software models that measure response times anywhere in the city, it was determined the proposed northern site would meet current needs and future needs as Bowling Green expands northward.
The number of fire and EMS calls have tripled in 30 years, from 1,095 calls for service in 1992, to 3,418 calls in 2022. The number is expected to hit 4,000 this year.
The projected cost of building and equipping the two new stations will be in the ballpark of $30 million. That includes $14.7 million for the headquarters station, $10.5 for the satellite station, $2.5 million for an aerial ladder truck, and $2 million for other fire and ambulance equipment.
For years, city leaders have been discussing the condition of the Court Street Fire Station, and the desire to decrease emergency response time in the city. Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter has said that a report in December on the unsafe conditions at the Court Street fire station was a “wake-up call” to the city.
If voters support the income tax on the ballot, city officials hope to begin construction on the two new stations in 2026, with the goal to have them operational in 2027.
