Bill to allow larger townships to increase fire, EMS tax moves out of committee

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A state legislator’s bill hoped to help fire companies and EMS agencies in Pennsylvania’s larger townships moved out of committee this week.

Rep. Nikki Rivera (D-Lancaster) introduced a bill to increase the limit first-class townships can tax property owners for fire and EMS services earlier this year.

First-class townships are limited by township code to no more than three mills for a fire tax and no more than half a mill for an EMS tax.

“For decades, our fire and EMS services have been forced to operate on shoe-string budgets because our first-class townships have been limited by law on how much they can impose in taxes,” Rivera said. “My legislation would give municipal officials, who are best able to determine how much money should be taxed to fund life-saving emergency services, the ability to do so.”

There are 93 first-class townships in Pennsylvania, including Swatara, Lower Swatara, Annville, West Lebanon, Susquehanna, East Pennsboro, Hampden, Lower Allen, Upper Allen, Manheim, Spring Garden, and York locally.

With few exceptions, first class townships are located in or near urban centers like the Philadelphia metro area and the Lehigh Valley. Townships must have a population of at least 300 people per square mile and hold a referendum to achieve the status.

Rivera’s bill would allow 10 mills for a fire tax and five mills for an EMS tax, in line with Act 54 of 2024 which applies to municipalities in counties contiguous to a city of the first class. Philadelphia is the only first class city in the state.

“Our mostly volunteer-run fire departments and EMS are underfunded and understaffed, which has resulted in delayed response times,” Rivera said. ““These incredible volunteers are depending on fundraisers such as chicken BBQ dinners—a wholly inadequate funding model—to afford the tools and skills they need to save our lives.”

The bill moved out of the finance committee this week and will be considered by the full House.

A similar bill amending the second class township code, affecting the rest of Pennsylvania’s townships, passed the House earlier this year.