Bennington Township sets $140 ambulance charge on winter tax bills

Every household in Bennington Township will see a $140 ambulance charge on its 2026 winter tax bill. The township board approved the levy 5-0 at its Oct. 5 regular meeting at the Township Hall, according to the minutes signed by Clerk Donna Ash.

The money goes to SSESA for ambulance service. Trustee Larry Johnson moved to approve the requested $140 per household "which is within the parameters of the approved special assessment," the minutes state. Maria Carlin seconded, and all board members present voted in favor. Supervisor Cody Baker, Jim Forsythe, Johnson, Carlin and Ash were all recorded present.

A special assessment like this one is a flat charge per household rather than a millage, so it does not rise or fall with a property's taxable value. It arrives on the same winter bill as the operating and fire levies the board set a month earlier. The Current reported that at its Sept. 8 meeting the board set a 2026 levy of 0.8728 mills for operating and 1.25 mills for fire.

On the same night, Forsythe told the board that SSESA's budget for Bennington Township carries a 2.7% increase compared with the township budget, and that the township will pay SSESA according to the contract. The minutes do not give the dollar figure behind that percentage.

The board also approved payment of bills totaling $22,304.16 on a 5-0 vote, and approved the treasurer's report and the September minutes. Baker reported that all road projects for the year are complete. A resident identified in the minutes only as Ross thanked the board during public comment for removing tree limbs at the corner of Hibbard and Morrice that were blocking sight distance.

Under old business, the minutes record that Al Root was not present but that a list of projects was given to the supervisor, and that Kathi Root attended to go through those projects with the board. The minutes do not say what the projects are.

County Commissioner Garber gave the board an update on county activities including progress on the Pleasant View expansion, and Sayles reported on library activities including progress on the new building. The meeting ran 20 minutes, from 7 p.m. to adjournment at 7:20 p.m.

What happens next: the $140 ambulance assessment appears on winter tax bills, which are mailed on the usual December cycle. The minutes do not list a date for the board's next regular meeting; the board met July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 8 and Oct. 5, all Mondays. Township voters also decide a separate question Nov. 3, when the 0.3333-mill, two-year SATA transit proposal the board placed on the ballot in July goes before them.