Gosport considers fire territory to stabilize fire protection funding

The number of volunteer firefighters across the United States is declining.

Gosport is no exception.

These unpaid responders account for more than 60 percent of firefighters and more than 80 percent of fire departments in the country, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Gosport, a town of less than 900 people in rural Owen County, has relied on its volunteer fire department and a mutual aid agreement with the Owen Valley Fire Territory, but it might not be enough anymore.

“Fewer and fewer young people are becoming volunteer firemen,” Gosport town attorney Terry English said during a July 10 work session. “That’s not just here, that’s across the nation. And so we don’t have as many warm bodies as we might have had previously to man the pumps.”

To give the town fire protection, and keep decisions about funding it with tax rates with local leaders, the town is considering forming a fire territory. Fire territories are fire service consolidations that bring together two or more contiguous taxing units into one fire protection district.

In Gosport’s case, the territory would encompass the town, which is in Wayne Township and one of the other bordering townships, such as Montgomery Township to the west.

The main advantage of forming a territory is increasing revenue for fire protection services, which could fund equipment, property and positions for a territory serving Gosport. Creating the territory would lead to raised tax rates for the town, but it could be successful in revitalizing fire protection for the area.

According to Gosport Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Brian Leonard, the maximum levy possibility for the territory would be 40 cents. Meaning, if a taxpayer’s home is worth $100,000, they would pay $400 per year toward fire protection. English said the actual rate funding the territory would likely end up being around Spencer’s tax levy of $128 per year.

“We’re not talking about great sums of money here, but we are talking about more money on top of taxpayers in Owen County, who are already burdened and already upset about the amount of the assessed valuations of their homes,” English said. “What you have to determine is whether or not fire protection is important enough.”

According to the Journal Review, based in Crawfordsville, IN, Vernon Township in Hancock County increased its revenue by 488 percent by establishing a fire territory, and Pendleton increased its revenue by 921 percent.

This could go toward buying equipment that the State of Indiana may mandate, but that Gosport doesn’t currently have the money to buy.

“There’s no way we can stay open to the way we’re done,” town council member Michael Miller said. “The cost of everything has gone up so much.”

Regardless of the town’s final decision in creating a territory, Miller said the tax rates will go up regardless.

Public Law 134, signed by Gov. Mike Braun in March, requires local governments to compile data on each township and assess their performance by Dec. 31, 2026 and requires qualifying townships to merge by Jan. 1, 2029.

Miller said depending on how the mergers affect Gosport and the Owen County township trustees, the county commissioners could move forward with determining tax rates for the areas that are higher than what they are now.

“Our population’s too small,” Miller said. “I mean we choose to live here because of that, but now it’s gonna cost us. We need to have the fire protection.”

The territory would have an advisory function, making decisions about property ownership and equipment purchases, for example. However, Indiana law requires one of the entities involved to act as the provider unit and oversee the budgeting, accounting and bills. The Town of Gosport would take care of that end, giving the fire territory board a budget, English said.

The town needs to start having conversations about the territory, English said. The window to begin collecting money in 2028 requires the town to have finished the paperwork between Jan. 1 and March 31.

The town is also required to hold three public hearings about the potential territory.

“It’s just a matter of starting to move in the right direction and having the townships before we start committing money for preparation of documents, we have some idea from the township trustees that they, in fact, are interested in moving forward,” English said.