Colfax will no longer pay the entire fire bill for fires within village limits
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Village Board has approved changing the procedure so that instead of paying the entire bill from the Colfax fire department for a fire within the village limits, the village will cover $500 toward the deductible.
Right now, the village pays 100 percent of the cost for the fire department to respond to a fire, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, at the Colfax Village Board’s December 11 meeting.
Since no one has any way of knowing if there will be any fires, or how many fires, there is no way for the village to budget for paying the fire bills, she said.
So far in 2023, the village has paid $11,000 for fire bills, Niggemann said.
Niggemann said she was asking the village board to determine whether the village should continue paying the entire fire bill for all village residents and businesses or whether the village should invoice the property owners for the fire department charges.
The question about covering the fire bills came up at a recent audit and finance committee meeting, she noted.
Homeowners and businesses will most likely have insurance policies that cover the cost of a fire, Niggemann said.
The village can bill the cost of the fire back to the homeowner, and if the insurance does not cover the cost, the homeowner could bring it back to the village, said Clint Best, village trustee.
Most insurance companies will pay all of the fire bill, said Margaret Burcham, village trustee.
Some municipalities pay $500 toward the deductible, said Gary Stene, village trustee.
Even if the deductible is higher than $500, if the village covers $500, then that is something toward the deductible to help the property owner, noted several village board members.
If the property owner does not pay the invoice for fire charges sent by the village, then the village can put those charges on the property taxes, Niggemann said.
Many municipalities also charge interest on the fire bill if it is not paid in a certain amount of time, 60 days or 90 days, and the interest plus the amount of the fire bill is put on the property taxes. State law allows a maximum of 2 percent interest.
Several village board members expressed concern about the village writing out a check to the property owner for $500, which creates additional work for the clerk’s office, and could complicate how an insurance company covers the cost of a fire.
If the village pays $500 toward the deductible, when the village receives the fire bill from the Colfax fire department, the village could pay the entire amount to the fire department, and then invoice the property owner for the amount minus the $500.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved that the village pay $500 toward a fire bill and then invoice the remaining amount of the fire bill to the property owner.
The next step will involve the administrator-clerk-treasurer writing the ordinance and then bringing the ordinance to the village board for discussion and consideration on whether to approve it.
