Election information shared with Island Creek Township residents

STEUBENVILLE -- Residents of Island Creek Township had an opportunity Sunday to learn about issues they will be asked to decide when they enter polling booths on Nov. 7.

Local school officials, firefighters and candidates for township offices gathered in the Island Creek Township Park Community Building to share information and answer questions in an informal one-on-one setting.

Among them were Ron Smyth and Anna Ault, members of the Edison Local school board, who encouraged visitors to support renewal of a 5.9-mill levy slated to generate $3 million per year for five years for the school district.

The two said the levy allows the school district to update educational materials for its students, including iPads and Chromebooks for students in pre-school through 12th grade, and enable vocational students to obtain skills and credentials needed to enter various fields.

Ault said with support from the levy, the school district has been able to introduce and expand upon career-based courses offered through its Career Pathways program, which includes biomedical science, information technology, engineering and vocational agriculture.

Smyth noted the engineering classrooms were revamped this summer.

"We're extremely proud of what we have accomplished and we're looking to grow when it comes to curriculum and educational opportunities," he said.

As a member also of the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School board, Smyth was on hand to encourage support for its own 0.5-mill five-year levy, which also is up for renewal.

Smyth said the school is attended by about 400 students from all of the Jefferson County school districts as well as a few from the Harrison Hills School District and provides preparation for a variety of fields.

A recent addition is focused on the operation of heavy equipment and designed to prepare students for jobs in the oil and gas industry as well as other fields, he noted.

Smyth said this year improvements are being made to the cosmetology lab and kitchen used for the culinary program.

Chief Rob Herrington of the 7 Ranges Fire District was on hand to clarify a proposed five-year 6-mill levy intended to replace the current levy supporting the district's six departments.

Herrington said the current 5-mill levy generates taxes on the assessed value for property of residents served by the district in Cross Creek Township and Wintersville in 2016, when it was introduced.

The new levy will include the assessed property values of about 4,000 Island Creek Township residents now served by the district while reflecting the current property values for all areas served by it, he noted.

He added with that change, the residents served by the 7 Ranges District will no longer pay taxes through a 5-mill levy established for fire services by the Island Creek Township Trustees.

Herrington said moving forward, a township trustee and resident will represent it on the district's board.

He said the district's full-time staff has improved response time in its service area tremendously and resulted in the number of patients saved from cardiac arrest by 300 percent.

Herrington said revenue from the levy supports equipment and staffing and is supplemented by fundraisers, including the recent gun bash and regular bingo nights, and grants secured by the district.

Leaders of fire departments supported by the Island Creek Township levy were on hand to discuss its role in funding their services.

Chief Eric Jeffers of the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department said voters in the areas of Island Creek Township not served by the 7 Ranges District will be asked to support a five-year 3.5 mill replacement levy.

As with the 7 Ranges District levy, it will reflect current appraised property values and will replace four levies, some 20 or 30 years old, the township trustees had introduced as more funding was needed by the departments, noted Jeffers.

He said if the levy should fail to pass, the existing ones would remain in effect.

Jeffers said if the new levy passes, revenue generated by it will be divided among the Pleasant Hills, Pottery Addition, Richmond and Toronto departments according to the populations served in Island Creek Township.

He said the Richmond department is staffed by about 14 firefighters -- most of whom also are certified as emergency medical technicians or better -- with two manning the fire station around the clock.

"We're very aggressive in pursuing grants and have been very fortunate to get some from the Federal Emergency Management Agency," said Jeffers.

But he said the levy is a chief source of funding for vehicles and equipment, the cost of which has increased dramatically in recent years.

He said a 1,000-gallon pumper truck purchased by the Richmond department for nearly $370,000 in 2018 now is sold for well over $500,000.

Jeffers said protective gear, from helmet to boots, and an air pack for one firefighter costs $10,000 to $11,000.

Chief Polen of the Pleasant Hill Volunteer Fire Department noted such equipment must be evaluated periodically to comply with federal regulations designed to ensure firefighters' safety.

He said the number of air packs used by their small department are inspected yearly, at a cost of about $1,200, and tested every five years at a cost of about $2,000.

Polen and fellow firefighters Dan Aldridge and Don Thomas said while the department is blessed with an active auxiliary, which holds regular fundraisers, levy money is vital to its operations.

"Almost all of it goes into equipment," said Polen.

Voters in Island Creek Township also will be asked to choose from candidates for trustee and fiscal officer. Vying for an unexpired term as trustee ending Dec. 31, 2025, are: Mark A. Longo, Dominic A. Merritt and Thomas J. Phillips.

Seeking a full term as trustee are: Donald R. Mossor Jr. and Brenda Powley. And running for the office of township fiscal officer are: Amy Browning and James P. Lackey.