Representative Calls for PA Communities to Set Aside Additional Funding for Fire Departments

Aug. 29—State Rep. Nikki Rivera is among a group of Pennsylvania legislators leading an effort to update state laws governing boroughs and townships to allow them to generate more revenue for firefighters and emergency responders.

Rivera, a Democrat from the 96th District, last week announced plans to put forward a bill that would allow first-class townships like Manheim Township to set aside more tax revenue for firefighters and emergency responders, and Thursday she shared plans to co-sponsor a bill that would give more boroughs the same power.

State law currently caps how much tax revenue municipalities can direct toward emergency services, allowing only certain types of townships more leeway to generate more tax revenue.

Rivera and her colleagues want to raise the cap for boroughs and townships across the board, which requires individually tweaking different sections of the law.

Currently, most municipalities are allowed to dedicate only 3 mills worth of property taxes to fire services; Rivera and her colleagues support raising that cap to 10 mills.

"Most people don't understand that in the end, the ultimate responsibility for fire and EMS is their local municipality," said State Rep. Chris Pielli, a Chester County Democrat who plans to support Rivera's effort to raise the cap for the state's most populous first-class townships.

Pielli penned similar legislation for smaller second-class townships, which passed the House in May. The bill would allow second-class townships to dedicate up to 10 mills of property taxes to fire services and up to 5.0 mills for EMS, as opposed to the current .5-mill cap. It awaits approval in the Senate.

The state doesn't offer enough grant funding for fire services, Pielli said, and state laws should change to let municipalities help themselves.

Second-class townships have fewer than 300 residents per square mile, which make up most townships across the state and in Lancaster County. Most of the fire companies in those townships and across Pennsylvania are run entirely by volunteers who raise the most of their funds through donations from events like chicken barbecue sales.

Local fire chiefs told LNP — LancasterOnline in March that many companies are moving away from the fundraising model because they can't cover soaring equipment costs anymore. Fire companies also lack the manpower needed to staff essential calls and run fundraisers. Instead, departments are relying more on municipalities for financial support.

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'Preventative measures'

Manheim Township, the county's only first-class township with more than 300 residents per square mile, currently has a 0.43 mill fire tax supporting its professional fire company. The township has the only professional fire service outside Lancaster city.

Township Manager Rick Kane said if Rivera's proposed bill passes, it would not mean a tax increase for residents. The township's current fire tax is nowhere near the existing 3 mill limit, and Kane said the township's career fire department isn't in dire need of more funding.

But that might not always be the case.

"Ten years down the road, we'd have to find someone to run legislation through," Kane said.

The bill, Rivera said, would give officials "another tool in the toolbox" to fund emergency services so municipalities aren't left scrambling if they need more fire funding.

"I love preventative measures," Rivera said.

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'Excessive' proposal

East Hempfield Township officials have been preparing their residents for the first tax increase since 2008, which they say is necessary next year to support growing costs for fire and EMS services.

Scott Wiglesworth, chairman of the township board of supervisors, has mentioned the need for a tax increase at every public meeting this year so people aren't caught off guard. Supervisors have said the township's current 1.01 mill property tax could increase by 0.5 mills. The township does not currently have a fire tax, and Wiglesworth is unsure whether officials will decide to adopt one.

Wiglesworth said he is not a fan of Pielli's legislation for second-class townships like East Hempfield, even as it faces mounting fire expenses. Fire services cost the township $1.5 million in 2025, a 29% year-over-year increase.

He called the 10 millage ceiling of Pielli's proposal "excessive," considering how low East Hempfield's current property tax is.

"This would allow us, under the guise of fire services, to raise our taxes 10 times the current amount," Wiglesworth said.

The current law does allow townships to seek a fire tax higher than 3 mills, though it would require voter approval through a referendum. Wiglesworth said he prefers keeping the decision with the voters. Besides, he said, nothing stops officials from dedicating more general funds to fire services. A fire tax, he said, is not a necessity.

Kane said Manheim Township may eventually get rid of its own fire tax because it does not cover the $6.7 million necessary to pay for the fire department's staff and equipment. The township already uses general fund dollars, he said, and residents would ultimately pay the same amount in taxes with or without a dedicated fire tax.

Manor Township Manager Ryan Strohecker said its 0.41 mill fire tax has been beneficial for the township because it allows residents to clearly understand how tax dollars are spent. Still, he called efforts to raise the tax ceiling "irrelevant" to his municipality.

"We're not anticipating getting anywhere close to (10 mills)," Strohecker said.