The City of McCleary has settled on a plan to float a levy to fund the fire department in the general election in November.

Currently, the fire department is plagued by aged equipment — equipment soon to surpass expiration dates and radio equipment that won’t hold a battery charge.

The council plans to use all of the funding available in the rural electric economic development (REED) fund, about $80,000.

“Then we’re only going to taxpayers and asking them for a much less amount than what we originally needed and I think we’re meeting with them and we’re working with them so we’re not putting the burden on their shoulders,” Councilwoman Brenda Orffer said.

Ultimately, the city will ask voters to approve a four-year levy that would net the city $180,000. Prelimiary numbers show the owner of a house worth $200,000 paying $96 more per year in property taxes.

In order to have the levy on November’s ballots, the city must submit paperwork to the county by August. The council will be presented with final numbers and a resolution for approval during the July 26 council meeting.

The city recently had applied to a grant to help replace the aging equipment, however that push failed when those available grants were awarded to communities with already-expired equipment. The city’s aging equipment will officially expire in 2018.

If the levy fails, the city plans to apply again for grant funding. If the grant applications fail again, the city will have to find funding from its ailing general fund.

Grant applications will need to be submitted before the November election. In the event that both the levy passes and the city is awarded grants, the city will earmark any levy funding for future fire department needs.

In the end, Mayor Brent Schiller said the city needs to continue looking at the overall financial situation plaguing the city.