Orange Township officials missed the filing deadline by two minutes.

Township Assistant Fire Chief Matt Noble said Friday that he’s delighted with the Supreme Court’s decision.

“Everybody is excited; they are elated over the decision. We are appreciative of the Ohio Supreme Court’s quick turnaround and the fact that they rendered a decision quickly,” Noble says.

Nearly 2 dozen firefighters – half of the township’s full-time firefighting workforce – had been told that they would be laid off without passage of the levy. The township diverted funds from other projects to keep the firefighters employed for at least several more months.

Now it’s up to voters to approve or reject the levy request. Assistant Chief Noble says failure to win approval of the levy means a substantial cut in services.

“We would be looking at drastically cutting staff and potentially closing a station and basically reducing the services that the residents of Orange Township have been accustomed to receiving,” Noble said.

If the levy is approved Noble says homeowners will pay a total of $229 a year for a $100,000 house.