Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The township tried but failed to pass a police levy 18 months ago.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Township trustees are considering asking voters for a police operating levy or a bond issue for equipment for the department.
Trustees are also planning to ask for two levy renewals -- a 1-mill levy for road construction and repairs and a 0.8-mill levy for parks. Those levies would not raise taxes.
Trustee Bo Pritchard pointed out that even though there has been much growth in the township since the levies up for renewal were passed, the township won't collect more money. Under Ohio law, the levy brings in a fixed-dollar amount. So when more homes are built and valuation goes up, the amount of millage needed to bring in that same dollar amount goes down. Thus, more taxpayers pay less taxes.
Trustees are considering a 1-mill, 1.5-mill or 2-mill operating levy for the police department or a 1-mill bond issue for police equipment only.
The township tried a year-and-a-half ago but failed to pass a police levy, said township fiscal officer Michael Kurish.
He said seizure money the department received, plus a reduction in staff, helped the department stay afloat.
But, he said, the department cannot afford to replace officers who have retired or left.
Fewer officers
Police Chief Robert Gavalier said the department is down six officers. The department has 37 full-time officers and detectives.
The department's cruisers are old too, he said, with several cars having more than 100,000 miles on them. The department's computer system is seven years old, he said, and if it should fail, the department wouldn't be able to function. And some radios in the cruisers are failing, with parts from other radios being used to keep them working, he said.
The last time the township passed a police levy was in 1994, trustees said. It becomes a safety issue, they said, if there are not enough police officers to back one another up in emergencies. Officers also must have reliable cars and radios, they said.
Gavalier said the department has cut back, for example, on cleaning services for the police station and a juvenile diversion program.
That program helped keep kids out of the justice system, Pritchard said. But the township eliminated it rather than cut back on police.
Trustees have until Feb. 16 to decide if they will put a police levy or bond issue on the May ballot. They have asked the county auditor to determine how much each of the three levy millage amounts they're considering would generate, based on the township's current tax valuation, and how much the bond issue would generate.
In other business, the township presented rescue ribbons to police officers Richard R. John and Ross Linert for foiling a suicide by wrestling a gun off the would-be victim. And three others -- Donald Morrison, Calvin Tedrow and James Gay -- were given certificates of appreciation for stopping a purse-snatching and catching the suspect Jan. 9 on Mahoning Avenue.