Council puts levy on hold

The law director said the issue cannot get on the ballot.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- Salem's divided council started to put a $1.5 million fire levy before voters and then decided against it.
Council had a special meeting Thursday to give one of three readings to legislation needed to determine the millage.
Council is divided, with four members who supported the creation of the Quaker Community Fire District and the levy and three new members who defeated fire district supporters.
Council would have to have three separate meetings to vote on the issue, unless six members supported it to pass it as an emergency.
But before the vote, Councilman Steven Andres, who proposed the levy, said he had been having second thoughts about the issue.
"Maybe we are rushing it," Andres said.
Andres said that with three new council members, it might be better to wait and put the issue before voters in August.
Still, he said, the levy is needed because "the city is going broke."
Council gave the ordinance one reading by title only.
Special meetings
Law Director Brooke Zellers reminded council that if the issue was going to be passed, council would have to call special meetings today and Saturday to vote again.
The council members who supported the district and the levy did not set the meetings. When pressed by reporters, they agreed they would wait until August.
Officials had disagreed whether there was enough time to get the issue on the ballot.
Zellers said that without the extra meetings being called right then, the issue could not get on.
"It's impossible," he said.
City officials had estimated that the creation of the fire district would save about $600,000 per year. City officials have indicated that the savings would be used for other city expenses.
The start of the fire district is on hold because of a temporary court order.
The estimated $1.5 million revenue from the levy would go into the general fund to maintain the fire department. The city's general fund is $5 million per year.
The district and levy supporters previously hadn't said what they planned to do with general-fund revenue that would be freed if the levy passed.
Andres and the other levy supporters said the funds should be used for capital improvements.
The four levy supporters said the excess money could go toward storm sewer and road programs, new dump trucks, a cleanup day and other activities.
wilkinson@vindy.com