By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green voters will decide in November if they want two new fire stations and a renovated police station.
On Monday evening, City Council approved placing a 0.15% income tax increase on the Nov. 4 ballot. While council members were solidly in support of putting the income tax on the ballot, there was a nearly hour-long debate over an attempt to shift more city revenue toward streets and sidewalks.
When the votes were counted, two new proposals to shift more funds to streets failed to garner enough support – but council’s support for the city’s fire and police station plan was unanimous. (A story will follow later this week on the street and sidewalk proposals.)
Plans call for the Pearl Street fire station to remain in operation. A new station, with the fire division headquarters, would be located on the north edge of Bowling Green, with the exact location still unknown. And a smaller satellite station will be built on the east side, on city property at Carter Park.
The police station would remain at its downtown location, with major renovations planned in the historic building.
If voters support the income tax in November, city officials hope to begin construction on two new fire stations in 2026, with the goal to have them operational in 2027. Next, work will transition to renovation of the police station in 2028. During construction, the police division will be temporarily housed in the Court Street fire station, which is slated for demolition when the police renovations are complete.
The city also plans to redistribute capital funds, taking a portion of the money that traditionally goes to the city’s water and sewer capital improvement fund. Funds will be shifted to street repairs, ongoing capital expenses for equipment and vehicles and building maintenance, police division renovation, and city debt payment.
The $2 million taken from the water and sewer capital improvement funds will be recovered through increases in utility rates.
Utilities Director Brian O’Connell explained that to make up for the lost capital improvement money, water and sewer rates will need to be increased to collect about $1.5 million annually.
The average residential customer in Bowling Green would see their monthly water bill go up 70 cents, and their monthly sewer bill go up by $1.10 a month, O’Connell said.
Even with the increases, Bowling Green residential bills will be lower than many in the region, he said. Currently, the total monthly water and sewer bill for a residential customer in Bowling Green is $36.95, compared to $54.13 in Findlay, $93.10 in Perrysburg, $107.08 in Defiance, $136.25 in Maumee, and $147.45 in Napoleon.
The BG Board of Public Utilities has the authority to set any rate increases.
For years, city leaders have been discussing the condition of the Bowling Green Police Station, the Court Street Fire Station, and the desire to decrease emergency response time in the city.
The number of fire and EMS calls have tripled, from 1,095 calls for service in 1992, to 3,418 calls in 2022. The number is expected to hit 4,000 this year.
Calls for police have doubled from approximately 15,000 in 1984, to 30,000 in 2024. In that same period, the number of officers has gone from 28 to 42, and the number of dispatchers has grown from nine to 11.
Based on the increase in fire and EMS calls, and the unsafe conditions at the Court Street Fire Station, the following plans were devised:
- Two new stations will be constructed, and the Pearl Street Station will remain in operation.
- A station with administrative headquarters will be built somewhere in the north end of the city, in the area between Haskins Road and Main streets, and Newton and Van Camp roads. Negotiations are still going on between the city and the landowner. That station will be larger, at an estimated 20,944 square feet.
- A satellite station will be built in the southeast area of the city, on property already owned by the city at Carter Park. Tretter stressed that all the recreation uses will remain in the park, with the disc golf course possibly needing to be reconfigured. This satellite station will be an estimated 14,215 square feet.
- The predicted cost of building and equipping the two new stations will be in the ballpark of $30 million. That includes $14.7 million for the headquarter station, $10.5 for the satellite station, $2.5 million for an aerial ladder truck, and $2 million for other fire and ambulance equipment.
The police station is also in dire need of improvements in its 130-year-old building downtown. Not only is the space difficult to use for a modern police operation, it’s also not user-friendly for the public.
Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter said that a report in December on the unsafe conditions at the Court Street fire station was a “wake-up call” to the city.
City leaders devised a plan to fund the fire and police stations through the three-step process – asking voters for an income tax increase, changing the way the existing income tax collections are disbursed, and raising water and sewer rates.
“We felt it was important to first look at the city’s current resources, and if adjustments could be made, do so prior to asking our citizens for additional funding,” Tretter explained. “Early in this process, the mayor challenged the group to look at our existing funding and ensure that we are utilizing all available dollars as effectively as possible – even if it means adjusting timelines/priorities.”
While the bond payment for the fire stations is for 26 years, the income tax is for a continuing period of time. The bond is also paying for a new aerial ladder truck, which will likely need to be replaced in 20-25 years, Tretter said.
Additionally, to keep up with maintenance at all three fire stations and the police station, dedicated funding for safety facilities and equipment is a responsible approach, Tretter said. “We’ve heard feedback from taxpayers that they are frustrated when appropriate maintenance is not done to new buildings so we are seeking to build in a funding stream,” she said.
