The Trenton Fire Levy Committee will discuss the levy during a community forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Civic Hall, 11 E. State St. Members of the community are encouraged to attend.

The Trenton City Council voted unanimously in June to place a 4.5-mil fire levy on the November ballot.

“Just to summarize, the purpose of this levy is to fund the fire department entirely — all of its operations — including personnel costs, any equipment costs and training costs. This will be all inclusive and would fund the fire department entirely,” said Trenton city treasurer Michael E. Engel.

The levy would cost a person with a $100,000 home value $138.00 per year.

According to a flier handed out by the council in June, Trenton is the only city in Butler County that operates with an all-volunteer staff of fire and EMS personnel. A levy supporting the fire department hasn’t passed since 1994.

According to the handout, the Trenton Fire Department’s total run volume has increased 147 percent since 2006, while at the same time the number of volunteer firefighters has declined.

Should the levy pass, it would raise $693,000 per year. Of that total, $293,000 would pay salaries and wages to a three-person part-time crew, a paid on-call three-person crew and a part-time fire chief; $175,000 would replace the older emergency vehicles in the fleet; $160,000 would cover the department’s operating costs; $21,000 would aid in station repair and upkeep; and $44,000 would go to homestead credits for the elderly and disabled.