Talk of tax increase driving wedge between leaders of growing Pa. township and its fire company

Story by Min Xian of Spotlight PA State College

But talks between the Walker Township Fire Company and the local board of supervisors on how to increase funding have come to an impasse. The fire company says a tax increase is the only way to secure its finances, but some local officials who oppose raising taxes disagree, and one wants to bundle increased funding with additional oversight of the company.

Walker Township’s population grew nearly 12% from 2010 to 2020, from 4,224 to the current 4,728, according toWith that growth has come an increasing call volume for the Walker Township Fire Company, Fire Chief Chris Roan told Spotlight PA. “We started having negotiations in 2019,” Harter said. “That already cost the taxpayers about $300,000, because that’s how much [the price of] apparatus has gone up in that amount of time.”

Keith Harter says he’s been a volunteer firefighter in Walker Township for 41 years. He told Spotlight PA he has supported the fire company in his capacity as a township supervisor, but feels responsible for ensuring taxpayer dollars are used transparently and with oversight. “Being able to say, ‘Yes, they spent this much money on items. Here it is. We can show you,’” is critical for accountability, Keith Harter said. “The township is looking out for [residents’] tax dollars. And if we’re going to be giving the fire company, in essence, over a quarter of a million dollars a year of taxpayer money, we should know where it’s going exactly. Plain and simple.”

With the majority of funding coming from taxpayers, Keith Harter said the township and the public should have the right to see detailed financial information as well as meeting minutes from when expenses are approved. Walker Township Fire Company held a public meeting Aug. 16 where representatives from both camps made their case in front of more than 100 residents. The three-hour meeting became contentious, especially when township supervisors took the floor.

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