Rogers City Area Fire millage approved by voters
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ROGERS CITY – Voters across Rogers City and four surrounding townships on Tuesday approved a new 1-mill property tax to fund replacement of the local fire department's aging fleet and critical safety equipment. The unofficial results indicated 1,496 total votes, with 1,079 yes votes, and 417 opposed.
The Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority's capital millage passed on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot. The measure authorizes a new additional levy of up to 1 mill -- $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value -- on all taxable property within the authority's boundaries, which include Rogers City, Rogers Township, Belknap Township, Bismarck Township, and Moltke Township.
The eight-year millage will begin with the Dec. 1, 2026, levy and continue through 2033. It is expected to generate approximately $319,009 in its first year. Revenue is restricted to capital purposes, including the acquisition, replacement and improvement of fire trucks, emergency vehicles, equipment, facilities, and other capital assets for fire protection and emergency services.
Fire Chief Bryan McClelland said the approval gives the authority a dedicated funding stream to address long-standing equipment needs.
"Our trucks are old, out of date, and in need of replacement," McClelland said. "Fire trucks are recommended to be replaced every 20-25 years."
The fleet includes a 1987 ladder truck, a 1993 pumper truck, a 1999 pumper tanker, 2003 and 2004 tankers, a 1986 brush truck, a 2006 rescue truck, and a 2008 first responder vehicle.
"The age of the apparatus fleet has led to numerous costly repairs, just to maintain their basic operational readiness," McClelland said.
An immediate priority is the replacement of self-contained breathing apparatuses, or SCBAs, that allow firefighters to enter immediately dangerous to life or health environments.
"The air bottles are at the end of their life cycle and can no longer be retested to remain in service," McClelland said. "The packs and masks are showing their age as well, requiring more frequent repairs. We are also encountering a parts shortage when attempting to repair the air packs and masks due to the manufacturer closing only a few years after the air packs and masks."
Replacing the department's SCBA inventory is expected to cost more than $200,000. Equipment prices have risen sharply. A comparable SCBA setup that cost $5,000 to $6,000 in 2020 now averages $10,000 to $12,000. Frontline pumper trucks that cost around $500,000 in 2020 now average more than $1 million.
McClelland said steady growth in the area has driven higher demand for services. The department responded to 244 fire and medical runs in 2021. That number more than doubled to 502 runs in 2025. Recent severe weather further tested the department. During a historic ice storm, firefighters turned the fire hall into a warming shelter for hundreds of residents while handling nonstop emergency calls. A major winter storm also paralyzed the coverage area for a day.
"Taxpayers count on us to show up when they call 911," McClelland said. "Newer trucks not only make the community safer but will help keep our firefighters safer with newer safety features and reliability."
The department previously pursued federal and state grants without success. For a small department serving multiple jurisdictions, raising the millions needed for fleet and equipment replacement through fundraisers alone was not feasible, McClelland said.
A property with a taxable value of $50,000 will pay an additional $50 annually under the new millage. The levy is new and does not replace existing funding sources.
Under state law, a portion of the revenue collected from properties inside Rogers City's Downtown Development District will be captured by the Rogers City Downtown Development Authority. That amount is estimated at about $4,533 in the first year.
McClelland described the equipment challenges as part of a broader national issue for small fire departments facing aging fleets, rising costs , and limited grant success. The approved millage provides a predictable revenue stream for capital needs over eight years, separate from the authority's operating millage, grants, and service charges.
Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.