The Valparaiso Fire Department is looking to raise taxes. The city council Monday agreed to let the city's fire territory ask the state to raise its operating fund tax rate by almost one percent.
Fire Chief Chad Dutz says the territory's tax levy hasn't been keeping up with growth. "As we bring in more business and we bring in more people, we just cannot keep up. We have a growth quotient that we get every year and we bring in new money, which is roughly $200,000. But for us, personnel, staffing, wages — it just does not keep up for us," Dutz told council members.
When it comes to pay, Dutz says his department is competitive but not the highest, and it's starting to lose firefighters and paramedics to places like South Bend.
The city can't raise the fire territory tax directly. But a new state law lets fire territories ask the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance to do it, if growth exceeds six percent.
If the petition is approved, Dutz says it would be a slight increase for taxpayers but could bring in another $281,000 to the fire department. The increase would affect taxpayers in Valparaiso and Center Township, starting with taxes payable in 2023.
