By Jennifer Eberbach
mlive.com
SALINE, Mich. — Four communities in southern Washtenaw County that have been partnering for fire services since the 1970s will explore creating a new regional fire authority.
Saline City Council voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 6, for the city to join Lodi, York and Saline townships in pursuing the formation of a fire authority.
| SPECIAL REPORT: What Firefighters Want in 2025
While the city’s vote does not immediately establish the fire authority, it initiates the formal process. Officials have authorized City Manager Dan Swallow and members of the Saline Fire Board to participate in planning sessions, negotiations, legal review and community engagement efforts, like townhalls.
For the fire authority to come to fruition, the communities would need to draft articles of incorporation and other agreements, which the communities would review and vote on.
“Forming a Fire Authority relieves pressure on the City’s General Fund by shifting fire costs to a dedicated millage, creating predictable funding for stations, trucks, and staffing while ensuring all taxpayers pay only their appropriate portion,” Deputy City Manager Elle Cole wrote in a memo to city council.
The four communities formed the Saline Area Fire Department in 1976 as a joint venture through intergovernmental agreements.
“While this arrangement has served the community very well, a 2025 independent study identified challenges with governance, equity in cost sharing, and long-term capital planning,” Cole said.
The city commissioned the Center for Public Safety Management to conduct an independent study assessing and rating different options for fire and EMS services in the region. Forming a fire authority scored highest overall and in most categories.
An authority would be expected to improve response times and coverage the most. The study also showed it would provide the most clarity of governance, equity in cost sharing and opportunities for capital planning, among others.
The study also considered other options, including strengthening the Saline Area Fire Department into a regional partnership, which scored second highest. It also looked at whether to not make any changes to the status quo or contracting out fire services.
“This is not something new. The fire board has actually been talking about this for several years,” councilmember Janet Dillon, who is the city’s mayor pro-tem, said at Monday’s meeting.
Dillon said forming a fire authority wasn’t previously an option under state law because one of the municipalities the fire department serves is a partial participant, but state law changed.
“Right now, it is very preliminary and trying to figure out how to go from an informal structure to a much more formal structure within four municipalities is going to take some time, and there are definitely some things that need to be included for the city,” Dillon, who serves on the fire board, said.
“Clearly, being able to release the city of liabilities and it would become part of the fire authority at that point is going to be a key aspect,” she said.
Councilmember Nicole Rice said forming a fire authority “removes the politics from safety and wellness of the community.”
“It gives more opportunity for funding, for potential expansion. It just increases all-around benefits for increased safety, increased services,” Rice said.
Councilmember Dean Girbach wants the city “to make sure we have commitments from each organization for a period of time, not that it’s five years in the future and then somebody splits to do somewhere else,” he said.
“I think this is advantageous,” Mayor Brian Marl said.
“I think it’s potentially good for the department and for the city to move in the direction of the establishment of an authority. I look forward to careful and thoughtful review of documents and motions.”
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit mlive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
