The village of West Salem formally presented its request for a change in the way fire protection costs related to the water system are recovered in the village during a Wisconsin Public Service Commission held Jan. 13.

No members of the public attended the telephonic hearing conducted jointly at Village Hall and at PSC headquarters in Madison.

If the commission rules in the village’s favor, water-related fire protection costs will go on water bills and previously tax-exempt entities such as schools, churches and Lakeview Health Center, for example, would be pay a share for the first time.

“It’s still a tax no matter how you look at it,” said Diana Engel, the only West Salem Village Board member in attendance. “It’s just a way of shifting the costs around.”

“I think this is a fairer way to charge,” said Village Administrator Teresa Schnitzler.

In an era of tightening budgets, more and more Wisconsin municipalites have been looking at alternative ways to assess fire protection bills. At a meeting last week, John Andres, a representative of the accounting firm Baker Tilly, told the Bangor Village Board that approximately one-third of the 600 utilities in the state have taken fire protection costs off the general levy.

Schnitzler also noted that there might be a misconception out there that this money goes to the fire department. The charge actually has nothing to do with the fire department, she said.

The PSC determines how much the village needs to charge for maintaining the system of fire hydrants and requires a separate charge. In the past, the “hydrant rental” charge was paid for out of the general fund.

The village requested that the change be implemented in two steps, with $50,000 taken off the general fund this year and about $62,000 taken off the following year.

The commission’s ruling is expected sometime this week or next.