ORWELL – Voters in Orwell Village approved Issue 4, a five-year, 3-mill additional fire levy to expand the Orwell Volunteer Fire Department’s personnel and services, by a nearly two-to-one margin.
According to unofficial results from the Ashtabula County Board of Elections, there were 114 votes in favor of Issue 4 (62.64 percent) and 66 votes against it (36.26 percent).
In a thinly attended town hall meeting on April 27, Interim Fire Chief Shane Gregory and Village Manager Sean Ratican made the case for approving Issue 4, citing the need for additional personnel, increasing equipment costs and an aging fleet at the fire department.
A brief statement issued by the Orwell Volunteer Fire Department thanked the community for its support.
“Your support strengthens our ability to protect our community, improve our equipment and ensure we are ready 24/7, when you need us most,” it read.
The levy will take effect in 2027, raise about $80,000 a year and cost a property owner about $105 a year per $100,000 in assessed, taxable value, according to information from the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Office.
The new fire levy is in addition to a five-year, 1-mill property tax levy funding the fire department renewed by voters in November 2025.
That levy was originally approved in 2001, and the renewal was for a period of five years, with collection beginning in 2026. The levy raises $18,902 and costs property owners $22 a year for each $100,000 in appraised, taxable property value, according to information from the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Office.
The Orwell Volunteer Fire Department provides primary responses to fires, rescue operations and hazardous material incidents for Orwell Village, Orwell and Colebrook townships, according to the department website. In addition, the department provides public education and safety inspections.
