Courtesy photo of the Rogers City Fire Authority station.

ROGERS CITY – Voters in Rogers City and four surrounding townships will decide on Aug. 4 whether to approve a new 1-mill property tax to replace the local fire department’s aging fleet and critical safety equipment.

The Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority is seeking approval of the eight-year capital millage on the state primary election ballot. The proposal would authorize 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.

If approved, the millage would begin Dec. 1, and continue through 2033. It is estimated to generate $319,009 in its first year.

The revenue from the tax would be used exclusively for 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 primary goal is addressing an aging apparatus fleet that has exceeded its recommended service life.

“Our trucks are old, out of date, and in need of replacement,” McClelland said.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.

The department has an immediate need for 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 would cost more than $200,000. Equipment prices have risen sharply across the board. 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.

The Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority and Rogers City Ambulance are separate entities. The authority operates two divisions — the fire department and medical first responders — both staffed by paid on-call personnel who provide around-the-clock emergency coverage.

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 has 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.

“Whether the millage passes or not, we will still answer the calls for service,” McClelland said. “It would be a disservice to the communities we serve to not bring this to their attention. Our trucks are considered old by most standards and passed their normal service life.”

Taxpayers count on reliable response, the chief added.

“Newer trucks not only make the community safer but will help keep our firefighters safer with newer safety features and reliability,” he said.

The department has tried federal and state grants without success. For a small department serving multiple jurisdictions, raising the millions needed for fleet and equipment replacement through fundraisers is not feasible, McClelland said.

A property with a taxable value of $50,000 would pay an additional $50 annually if the millage is approved. The levy is new and would not replace existing funding.

Under state law, a portion of the revenue from properties in Rogers City’s Downtown Development District would be captured by the Rogers City Downtown Development Authority. That amount is estimated at about $4,533 in the first year.

McClelland described the challenges as part of a national issue for small fire departments facing aging fleets, rising costs and limited grant opportunities. Passage would provide a dedicated revenue stream for capital needs over eight years, separate from the authority’s operating millage, grants and service charges. It would allow systematic upgrades without competing with day-to-day operations.

If the measure fails, the authority would continue responding to all calls but would lack dedicated capital funding. Major replacements and safety upgrades would rely on the operating budget, sporadic grants or other sources. That could prolong the use of aging equipment even as call volumes rise and the community grows.