NORTH CANTON, Ohio — On election day, North Canton residents will vote on Issue 9, a bond issue that, if passed, would fund a new Fire/EMS facility on North Main Street.
It would replace the two current fire stations: Fire Station 2, built originally as a garage for the Parks Department in 1957, and Fire State 1, built in the early 70s. It was designed and constructed as a volunteer fire department.
North Canton has been a full-time department for nearly 20 years, and over that time, the city has tried five other times to push for a new fire station.
According to Benjamin Young, the deputy director of administration, the first three attempts never made it out of city councils. The next two tries resulted in voters turning down income tax measures.
Young hopes the sixth time— a 1.97-mill property bond on the ballot— is the charm.
"I am hopeful that it will pass. We have certainly tried to do our best to educate the public and share as much factual information as possible," Young said.
If approved, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $69 per year for 25 years.
Some clearing work has already been done on the site where the $16 million fire station would be built on North Main Street and Viking Street NW.
The city paid about $1 million for the property, which used to be an auto repair business and several houses, Young said.
If the levy fails, Young said city council could go back to the voters with yet another ballot measure or sell the land.
North Canton resident Earl Hoop said he's reluctant to pay more taxes but plans to support Issue 9.
"In North Canton, they need a new fire station," Hoop said.
Another resident named John declined to give his last name and said he'd vote no.
"I think they need to find another way," he said. "I probably won't vote for it because right off the bat, our property values are going way up, so our taxes are going way up. No, I'm not gonna vote for any extra taxes."
City officials said the number of emergency calls in the city of about 18,000 has more than doubled in the last two decades.
"We're running about 1,800 calls a year," said Fire Chief Drew Carter. "As the calls increase, the staffing to respond to those calls is also needed."
However, Cramer said the city's two fire stations are insufficient for a modern department.
He pointed out that the fire trucks are crammed into Station 1 because it was not built to house the size of today's fire trucks.
"We're running out of room and trying to make accommodations to better suit operations here," Cramer said.
Dormitory space is also an issue. In March, two offices were transformed into dorms at Station 1 to create space for three firefighters to sleep. The chief would like dorm space for four or five firefighters, but there isn't enough room in the building.
While the current stations have equipment to extract chemicals and wash and dry gear, there are no separate decontamination areas, which Young sees as a serious concern.
"They need to have a place to come back and decontaminate and not continue to be exposed to those things as it sits on their gear or on the trucks," Young said.
City officials said the proposed station is in a centralized location for a consolidated facility that can serve all of North Canton in six minutes or less drive times.
