Village mulls levy to raise funds for police

The proposed legislation would generate about $57,500 per year for five years.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Village council is considering putting a 1-mill safety levy on the November ballot aimed at retaining police officers.
The council unanimously passed a resolution at a meeting Tuesday requesting the Mahoning County auditor's office to certify the amount that millage would generate.
A first reading on legislation to place the five-year levy on the ballot is expected at council's next regular meeting July 5. Three readings usually proceed passage of legislation.
The levy is projected to raise about $57,500 annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $31.50 per year, officials said.
The money would be for police salaries and related expenses, such as police retirement.
Councilman Bill Dunnavant said council hopes that a pay increase may help keep village police officers from leaving the village for other departments where they earn more.
He said the idea is for a roughly 10 percent increase, though the specifics of that haven't been determined. It wouldn't necessarily mean, for example, that each officer would get a 10 percent pay boost.
"We're looking at maybe a tier system," Dunnavant said. "Right now, the pay is the same whether an officer is here for one year or for 30 years. Except for vacations, there's little pay incentive to continue."
Linda Srnec, village clerk/treasurer, said that about $408,675 from the general fund is used annually to cover police salaries, Medicare and employer retirement contributions for police officers.
If placed on the ballot and approved, proceeds from the safety levy would be in addition to that, council members said.
The department employs six full time officers who earn $17.70 per hour or about $36,816.
"My understanding from council members is that they'd like that to be about $40,000 per year so it's more comparable with some other departments that we're losing police to," Srnec said.
The department's nine part-time officers earn $11.85 per hour.
Srnec, who has occupied her post for 14 years, said that if council places the levy on the November ballot, it would be the first time that she's aware of that village voters have been asked to approve a safety levy.