OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Frank Boniface raised concerns with the figures presented to various companies for District 2 fire protection in Hanover.

HANOVER — As one of the final acts of the current Town Board’s tenure, the Town of Hanover has approved its 2024 budget and fire protection contracts.

Outgoing Town Supervisor Todd Johnson and outgoing Town Councilman Wayne Ashley were among the votes unanimously in favor of the budget for the upcoming year. The 2024 Town Budget will be made available in the official minutes of the Town Board meeting.

The Town agreed to pay several companies for fire protection across three different districts. Forestville receives $35,908 for District 1 and $31,111 for District 2. Sunset Bay receives $38,331 for District 2 and $63,718 for District 3. Other companies serving District 2 include Silver Creek, $72,723; Hanover Hose Co. No. 1, $60,400; Irving Fire District, $58,664; and Perrysburg Volunteer Fire 1, $2,500.

One resident, Frank Boniface, raised strong concerns regarding annual raises awarded to the fire departments and the discrepancies between the departments, specifically in District 2, where six different companies are contracted to serve the town.

“Right now, the way the money is distributed is completely unequal. When you give everybody a 2% raise every year, the higher recipient gets more money than the lowest recipient,” said Boniface. “Every year that we do this, it makes the difference bigger and bigger. … This is not fair.”

Johnson stated he agreed with Boniface, referencing past years of negotiation as a Silver Creek Fire Department member. Johnson stated that the current Board debated not increasing the figures at all for the upcoming year, but “at the last hour” the board approved a 2% increase.

“I think what the new Board in 2024 is going to have to do is, they will have to examine what each company can and can’t do, and go from there,” Johnson said.

Town Councilman Bernie Feldmann, Jr., stated, “We are studying some new formulas … to look at exactly why we do what we do and why these amounts are what they are.”