Rural emergency services could be discussed at the Manitowoc County level.
County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer says the Valders Fire and Rescue is getting expensive, and they don’t have enough staff.
In October, the village of St. Nazianz voted to stop getting service from Valders and go to Kiel because of costs.
Ziegelbauer says cities already pay for their emergency services, but the county can’t create a special district to do that for rural areas.
“But the rural areas have to get together andpay for it,” he explained. “And it’s expensive, especially where there’s not many people.”
Ziegelbauer says the county can help, but they aren’t allowed to fully fund a service because it’s the responsibility of the village, and it would be unfair to cities that pay for their emergency services.
The issue could be brought up at a county board meeting next year or in 2025.
