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Council requests auditor certify 2-mill, 3-year levy
NEW MIDDLETOWN
With one member dissenting, New Middletown Council requested the county auditor certify a 2-mill, three-year police levy for the November ballot.
Council member Dan Santangelo voted against the measure, stating after Monday’s meeting that he thought the money should be designated for the general fund, not the police, to keep the village operating in case of severe state cutbacks.
Once the auditor determines exactly what the millage will yield, council must vote to place the levy on the ballot.
Fiscal Officer Carl Flitcraft Jr. said two new mills would cost the owner of a $100,000 home in the village $64 annually.
The purpose is to keep 24-hour police coverage in the village.
Before their vote, council members debated whether to designate the millage for the general fund or the police department.
Some lawmakers were concerned that designating it for the police department would keep the department healthy but make the money unavailable to operate the village if needed.
Flitcraft, however, noted that in such a situation, the village could simply keep the $50,000 it now gives the police department from the general fund.
Later, council accepted the resignation of member Cheryl Wilson-Hawkins. Hawkins, who did not attend the meeting, cited increasing time demands in her resignation letter dated March 22.
Mayor Harry Kale asked for a letter of intent by the end of April from any resident interested in filling Hawkins’ unexpired term, which runs until Dec. 31, 2013.
Hawkins came to council when she was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Rebecca Mason and went on to be elected to her own three-year term.
Candidates must live and be eligible to vote in the village.
Council also named Interim Fire Chief Curt Brown as Village Fire Chief with a one-year probationary period.
Brown will be paid $150 per month.
He was named interim chief in January after the retirement of longtime chief Bill Opsitnik.
Brown has been a volunteer firefighter for 12 years and was a lieutenant before being named interim chief.
Council gave a final reading to an electrical aggregation agreement with FirstEnergy to supply electricity for the village for nine years.
In return for the contract, residents get a six percent discount and commercial customers a four percent discount off the going rate, and the village gets $40,000. Villagers can opt out of the agreement.