A proposal to merge Buena Vista Charter Township’s police and fire departments was met with opposition from concerned residents at a Friday afternoon town hall, with township officials and workers struggling to find consensus.
The proposal, according to a presentation by township Supervisor Christina Dillard, would consolidate the two departments into one public safety department, with some police officers training to also fight fires. The new department would have two full-time and one part-time fire positions, down from eight full-time fire positions. To compensate, the proposal would increase the number of volunteer “paid on-call," or POC, firefighters from 11 to 20. The Buena Vista Board of Trustees tabled action on the proposal at its last meeting after community backlash. In her presentation, Dillard said the township will not be able to sustain its budget in the near future without changes.