The Elkhart City Council voted to evict its fire department from the city-owned fire station.
The 5-0 vote, with one council member abstaining, took place during last week's council meeting.
“We've been wrestling with this for quite a while,” Elkhart Mayor Mike Gordon told the Palestine Herald. “It's time for it to end, so the city and the fire department can move on.”
“We're going to need to get into the building,” Gordon told Elkhart Fire Chief Randy McCoy. “We have to identify the fixed-assets and do an inventory.” He then asked McCoy to set a date for the visit.
“First of all,” McCoy responded, “what are fixed-assets? I'm going to have to check with the fire department's attorney before telling the City Council when they can enter the building.”
Gordon said the move would save residents $10,000 annually.
“The council says they can't afford $10,000 a year for a fire department, but they just approved $6,000 for a city website. I don't understand.”
The department could receive $13,000 each year if they operate as a fire department for Anderson County, but department officials told the fire district board that they didn't want to continue to serve Elkhart.
Officials said the department will be able to keep all of the equipment. The city will sign over the titles for the the existing eight emergency vehicles, plus one that is due to be delivered, to the fire department.
“By taking the city off of the vehicle titles, they're not giving us anything,” McCoy told the newspapers. “They just freed themselves from the responsibility of insurance. They're trying to save money."
The department, which has been around for 80 years and moved into the fire station in 1970, had recently bought land for a new station.
After more than 80 years of service, the Elkhart Volunteer Fire Department will shut down Oct. 26.
