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3-mill levy sought for police
New Middletown seeks new funding to continue 24-hour police coverage
NEW MIDDLETOWN
Village residents will have to pass a 3-mill levy if they want their 24-hour police coverage to continue after 2011.
At their meeting this week, New Middletown Village Council members took the first step to put a levy on the ballot this year by authorizing fiscal officer Carl Flitcraft Jr. to get a certification from the county auditor of how much money 3 mills will bring to the village budget.
Flitcraft and Mayor Harry Kale said the millage would generate about $60,000, enough to cover salary and benefits for an officer for one year.
The village received grants in 2010 and this year to cover the cost of a police officer for the night shift, but officials do not expect the grant to be renewed for 2012.
Once the certification is received, council would have to vote to place the levy on the ballot 90 days before the election.
The levy could be on the May or November ballots, but Councilman Dan Santangelo said he would prefer not to suspend the three required readings to pass such legislation. Without suspending the three-reading rule and passing it as emergency, council could not meet the Feb. 2 filing deadline for issues and liquor options to appear on the May 3 primary ballot.
Whether it passed in May or November, however, any money from the levy would be collected beginning in 2012, officials said.
Flitcraft said after the meeting that a rough calculation showed that the owner of a $130,000 home in the village would pay an additional $100 per year in property taxes.
Also at the meeting, Councilman Richard DeBucci was re-elected council president.
Council also agreed to pay $1,600 initially and then $30 per month to have the village ordinances put online by Walter Drane Co., Beachwood, Ohio.
The ordinances will be put on the village’s website — villageofnewmiddletown.com — and also will be available at walterdrane.com.
The village’s records commission will have a short meeting after the Feb. 14 council meeting to make a minor change to the list of records that must be retained. Officials said the change was requested by the state after a review of the village’s records schedule.