By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(April 2, 2026) The Town of Berlin informally committed this week to providing a tax credit to first responders who reside within the municipal limits. The move is an attempt to bolster fire company recruitment and retention efforts.

At a work session between the Berlin Fire Company and the mayor and Town Council on Monday night, municipal and emergency officials discussed the possibility of offering eligible volunteer and career fire staff an annual property tax credit, or refund, after they settle their property tax bills.

How it would work is the fire company would provide the town with a list of members and staff who qualify for the perk. Fire company President David Fitzgerald said that, for example, this year, 18 of the 28 members who live in town are eligible for the refund.

To qualify, volunteer or career staff must live within the Berlin town limits and own their home, with their name appearing on the property deed.

Members would receive their property tax bill, pay the balance, and then apply for the credit from the town. The municipality would budget for the expense.

Officials said that they would like to see the credit at $1,000, at least to start.

“My thought is we start at $1,000 and then see how it goes,” Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said. “And we can always work up. It’s always easier to work up than it is down.”

Offering the tax credit could encourage fire company members to move into the Town of Berlin. With more members residing in the area of service, response times would likely be quicker.

“I moved out of town because of the cost. The taxes, water, sewer…this could bring people in town to live in town, young people, knowing they would get something off their taxes, because where does that help us? Response times,” Fitzgerald said.

Adding that he lives about four miles out of town, he said he can get to a scene quickly at night, but daytime traffic makes that more difficult.

The refund may also give town citizens already considering membership into the volunteer company that final push.

The council’s discussion of the proposal included length-of-service requirements for eligibility. Town Council Vice President Dean Burrell said that requiring members to have served for three years will provide a hook and increase retention. Individuals would stay on, in the hopes of securing the tax refund when they reach that third year.

Tyndall, however, said that he would like one year to be the marker of eligibility.

“What I’m looking for is a year of service,” he said. “If the goal is recruitment and retention and you say it takes three years … I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Furthermore, the perk would be given to those who met the qualifications in the prior year.

“The thing is, we’re not front funding, we’re back funding a year,” the mayor added. “So, if you volunteered for a year, we’re going to recognize it and say thank you and hopefully you continue again for next year.”

Tyndall also said that he would prefer to extend the credit to all first responders who meet the requirements, including those in law enforcement.

Fire company officials have acknowledged that the Berlin company, like many volunteer units across the country, are struggling to recruit new members.

“It’s a struggle,” Fire Chief Andrew Grunden said at a mayor and Town Council meeting earlier this month. “It’s a time-consuming thing. People don’t want to spend a lot of time doing something for free … The amount of time training, all that, continues to be problematic. People have to want to take the time to help our community … a lot of people don’t want to spend a lot of free time for someone they don’t know.”

To illustrate the time commitment, from July through December, company personnel spent 1,286.19 hours answering emergency calls and 1,498.25 hours on non-emergency events. The non-emergency time included training, meetings, and fundraisers.

Worcester County is considering a similar tax incentive for fire company members. Those eligible would receive both perks from the county and the Town of Berlin.

Other towns have their own version of a property tax credit. In November, the Ocean City Council voted to proceed with the incentive for active members of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company who live in town.

The Ocean City tax credit, up to $2,500, would apply only to active volunteer firefighters.

No action was taken on Berlin’s tax credit at Monday night’s work session, but officials said they would support the move informally.