Warren mayor: Tax failure will mean layoffs for city

kThe city isn't asking for additional money -- it's the same tax that passed in May 2001.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- If the 0.5 percent income tax for city fire and police doesn't pass by year's end, residents can expect layoffs from the safety forces with a trickle down to services provided by other departments.
Mayor Michael J. O'Brien estimated that failure to pass the tax renewal would cause at least a dozen layoffs each in police and fire.
And although the tax money is designated for the safety forces, the loss of those funds would affect more than just those departments, said the mayor and Councilwoman Susan E. Hartman, D-7th.
Because the city must provide police and fire service, general fund money that may be used for other departments would be used to fund the safety forces.
"It would affect other departments like operations and street resurfacing," O'Brien said. "We would have to curtail some services."
Income tax vote
Voters will be asked in Tuesday's special election to approve the 0.5 percent income tax for another three years. Voter passage would enact the tax from Jan. 1, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2007.
It's the same tax that passed in May 2001 and expires at the end of this year.
"We aren't asking for additional money," said O'Brien. "It's the same tax."
Voters in March rejected its renewal for another three years by 161 votes.
The tax generates about $4.6 million annually for the police and fire departments.
"Each of these departments have seen great growth since the tax passed," said Hartman, who chairs council's police and fire committee.
She was referring to progress rather than an increase in the number of employees.
Advantages
"In the police department, we've had some new young officers come in who have given us ability to do some sting operations with hookers and drug busts," Hartman said.
That work can be more difficult for long-time officers because they may be recognized by those they're investigating, she said.
"In the fire department, we've had some new people, and we're getting a new firetruck at no cost to our residents," Hartman said.
The truck was purchased using money from tipping fees from the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District.
When the 2001 tax was promoted, the former administration pledged to hire police officers to get the department to 84 officers and full staffing of 75 in the fire department, 17 of whom were hired in 2002.
The fire department got all of its new personnel, but because of problems with funding and up-to-date civil service lists, that never happened for the police department. The department has 74 officers, including Chief John Mandopoulos.
Prospective hiring
O'Brien said he had a list of prospective officers to hire, but the tax failed last March, two months after he took office. It wasn't fair to ask those prospects to leave another job to work for the city where their future employment would be uncertain, he said.
Layoffs of fire personnel would likely mean closing the Atlantic Street and Parkman Road Northwest fire stations, leaving only the main station on South Street Southeast still operating. That would affect response time throughout the city.
"Response time would be in dire straits for the police department" with layoffs, O'Brien said.
Because of a slower response time, the department would need to consider going to two officers per cruiser to ensure officer safety. Because it would take longer to respond to calls because of low staff, two officers per cruiser would help ensure an officer doesn't go into a situation without backup.
If the tax passes Tuesday, the mayor said, 10 police officers could be hired within a month and a half, boosting the department to the 84-officer pledge.
"For the community to grow, first it has to be a safe community," O'Brien said. "With a reduction in the police and fire departments, there's absolutely no way you could refer to Warren as being a safe city."
denise_dick@vindy.com