Officials in Weatherly borough say the cost of fire service has increased substantially since a state law passed in 2011 expanded workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters.

Borough council recently came to an agreement to share some of that cost with Packer Township regarding the budget for Citizens’ Fire Company No. 1, which serves both municipalities.But both sides are still looking for a long-term solution to fund the fire company.Last year, Weatherly borough paid $11,000 more in workers’ compensation insurance than it did in 2014.Borough council asked Packer Township to share some of that cost in 2016. The Packer Township supervisors ultimately agreed to give an additional $2,000 in 2016 because it is roughly their share of the increased workers’ compensation insurance cost.On Monday, council voted 4-2 to officially approve the agreement. Cecilia Gower and Harold Farrow voted against.Farrow has said that he would like to see the township pay more for fire coverage. Before the agreement, they had paid $7,765 annually for more than a decade. But there has never been a formal agreement. Over that time, Weatherly has continually contributed more each year to the department. Last year, the township was forced to get workers’ compensation insurance from the state, which increased the cost by $11,000.Private insurers no longer offer workers’ compensation for fire departments in Pennsylvania because of a law passed that broadly increases coverage for firefighters. The “Firefighter Cancer Presumption Law,” passed in 2011, allows firefighters to file claims for cancer up to 10 years after they leave the fire service.After they paid the whole bill in 2015, borough officials asked the township to increase its contribution this year.“It all started with the increase in workman’s comp,” borough manager Harold Pudliner said. “That really shot up. We were looking for some relief on our end, so we reached out to them.”Council did initially ask Packer Township to pay “per capita” for the entire department. They calculated that to be $24,000 per year for the township, with Weatherly covering the rest of the department’s $82,000 budget.Packer Township Supervisor William Swinesburg said his board will definitely meet again with Weatherly, but he does not see how the township can pay for any more than what it will in 2016.Swinesburg said he has heard from the township’s solicitor that they are not legally required to provide fire coverage. Ideally he would like the township to pay for coverage only for dwellings and buildings located in the township. He said he does not want the township to pay for crashes on Route 93.“We can’t be responsible for them,” Swinesburg said. “If they want to respond, fine, but we don’t have any control of that.”In addition to approving an agreement for 2016, the two municipalities have agreed to meet again this year to try and find a long-term funding solution for the fire company. Swinesburg maintained that any additional increase will be difficult for the township.“We can handle the $2,000 like this year, but talking to the other supervisors, I don’t think we can continue (to increase) every year,” he said.