South Jacksonville voters to decide fire district referendum for funding, new equipment

South Jacksonville fire chief Rich Evans is urging village voters to approve a fire protection district later this month that would replace the current $100-per-subscription funding model and create a tax base to pay for equipment and EMS services. Evans says the move is aimed at ensuring equipment is modern and personnel are available when emergencies occur.

The proposed district footprint, as described by village officials, runs to Midway Road where the Murrayville Woodson district ends, follows Route 36 to the Scott County line, covers the village, and extends eastward up to adjacent fire protection districts. Evans says the proposed fire protection district tax would cost a person with a $90-thousand home about $126 a year.

Evans laid out immediate equipment priorities: “the department needs to update its equipment, and have people available during emergencies.” He added bluntly that “The $100 subscriptions to the fire department now are not providing enough money for the department to operate efficiently,” and repeated that “Many people in the area don’t subscribe.” On apparatus needs he said, “The ladder truck needs replaced, and the department would buy one unit to replace a couple of rescue units if the referendum passes.” The village department currently also provides EMS and basic EMT services, Evans said.

Under the subscription model, residents who pay $100 are billed as subscribers rather than having the service funded through property taxes; officials argue the subscription system has left gaps in revenue and coverage because not all households subscribe. The referendum would shift funding to a district tax that, based on officials’ estimates, would produce the $126-per-$90,000-home figure; officials have not released exact ballot language or a specific election date beyond saying the vote is scheduled later this month.

Officials in nearby municipalities have used voter referendums to secure larger fire budgets and to pursue consolidation or modernization. In a separate township, Jackson Fire District No. 2 approved a 2026 budget of $5.09 million, up from $3.4 million in 2025, with voters backing the budget 143 to 52 and an accompanying referendum 137 to 61, moves leaders said would raise the fire portion of the average property tax bill by about $6 per month, or $72 a year. Jackson officials reported emergency responses rose 13 percent, to 1,575 calls in 2025, and that their bureau performed more than 4,000 fire safety inspections last year; Scott Rauch, a Jackson district administrator, said, “Our firefighters are answering more calls than ever, and our prevention workload continues to grow,” and leaders there cited software integration and consolidation steps as part of modernization.

If South Jacksonville voters approve the district later this month, Evans says the department intends to prioritize replacing the ladder truck and consolidating rescue units into the one new unit described in the plan. The outcome will determine whether the village shifts from a voluntary subscription model to a property-tax supported fire protection district that officials say is necessary to sustain equipment, EMS and reliable emergency response.