About the Levy

Issue 103 is a 1 mill property tax operating levy dedicated to fire department operations — specifically, hiring additional firefighter/paramedics. The goal is to hire 12 additional firefighter/paramedics to strengthen staffing across the city and in the new fire station.

More firefighter/paramedics means more emergency response vehicles in service, and ultimately faster response times to emergencies.

Issue 103 money will not be used to pay for the new fire station currently under construction at Royalton and Pearl Road.

$35 per year for each $100,000 of the County Fiscal Officer’s market value. A home with a market value of $350,000 would pay $122.50 per year.

The rate will not exceed 1 mill for each $1 of taxable value, and the County Fiscal Officer estimates the levy will collect $2,295,968 annually.

No. Construction of Station 5 is estimated at $10 million and is being paid for by issuing notes and bonds. Money from Issue 103 would not go toward building the station.

The city makes its final payment on Station 4 in 2026. Retiring that debt frees up existing borrowing capacity to carry the new station, so Station 5 does not add to the city’s overall debt load.

The fifth station is under construction in the center of the city, near the intersection of Royalton and Pearl Roads, and is scheduled to open in April 2027.

It adds needed response coverage to the center of the city along the busy Route 82 / Route 42 business corridor, and allows rapid backup to other areas of the city.

Emergency call volume has grown 200% since 2004 — from about 2,400 calls for service that year to roughly 7,200 in 2025. Over the same period the department’s average response time has climbed to 6 minutes and 55 seconds, well beyond the recommended national standard of 4 minutes.

70% of calls for service have at least one other call occurring at the same time, which means a second emergency often has to wait. The goal is to hire 12 additional firefighter/paramedics to staff the new station, with hiring phased in ahead of the opening and alongside retirements.

The Fire Department’s average city-wide response time is 6 minutes and 55 seconds. The recommended national standard is 4 minutes.

The new fire station and the additional firefighter/paramedics will help reduce response times across the entire city, and along the busy Royalton and Pearl Road business corridors.

Time is critical in a medical emergency or a fire.

A patient without oxygen can suffer brain damage in four to six minutes. Think about a spouse having a heart attack or a stroke, or a grandchild choking — how long do you want to wait for help?

A fire doubles in size every 30 to 60 seconds, and today’s fires reach flashover faster, putting residents and firefighters at risk sooner.

Why response times matter: Angela’s story →

Most of what the department does is emergency medical care. Strongsville runs roughly 5,000 EMS calls a year compared with about 2,300 fire, rescue and service calls.

Residents 65 and older are a growing share of the city and are more likely to need us: 75% of our EMS patients are over 65. Our commitment to them is the same one we make to every resident — professional, competent, and compassionate care.

No. Issue 103 is requested for a continuing period of time, commencing in 2026 and first due in calendar year 2027. Staffing a fire station is an ongoing cost, so the funding for it is ongoing as well.

ISSUE 103 — Proposed Tax Levy (Additional), City of Strongsville. A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.

An additional tax for the benefit of the City of Strongsville for the purpose of providing and maintaining fire apparatus, mechanical resuscitators, or other fire equipment and appliances, buildings and sites therefor, or sources of water supply and materials therefor, for the establishment and maintenance of lines of fire-alarm communications, for the payment of firefighting companies or permanent firefighting, emergency medical service, or administrative personnel to operate the same, including the payment of any employer contributions required for such personnel under Section 145.48 or 724.34 of the Revised Code, for the purchase of ambulance equipment, for the provision of ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical services operated by a fire department or firefighting company, or for the payment of other related costs that the County Fiscal Officer estimates will collect $2,295,968 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1 mill for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $35 for each $100,000 of the County Fiscal Officer’s market value, for a continuing period of time, commencing in 2026, first due in calendar year 2027.