Boardman seeks passage of two, five-year renewal levies

By kalea hall

khall@vindy.com

boardman

The township will not be able to maintain current operations without voter approval for two five-year renewal levies, township officials said.

The 3.2-mill general operating levy and 2.2-mill police and fire renewal levies are on the November ballot.

“We need them to keep the operations where they are at, and the trustees have really gained a lot of community support,” said Jason Loree, township administrator,

Since 1967, the township has relied on the 3.2-mill general operating levy, which generates $1,258,604 annually. This levy costs the owner of a $100,000 home $37 a year. The levy helps to support operations within the township, Loree said.

In 2008, the 2.2-mill police and fire levy was passed. This levy generates $1,969,358 annually and costs the owner of a $100,000 home $67.38 a year. The township police department receives a majority of the funding from this levy at 65 percent, and the fire department receives 35 percent of the funding .

Both police Chief Jack Nichols and fire Chief George Brown said the levy is vital to keep the fire and police departments as they are now. Both departments, and the township as a whole, have received cutbacks from the state — making local funding support a necessity to operate, they said.

“That would be hard to make up without having drastic changes in the fire department,” Brown said.

The department already is spread thin with 38 career firefighters and two volunteers covering Boardman.

“It is very difficult to cover a community of this size with that many people,” Brown said.

If the levy does not pass, it would not be possible to even think of updating the main station on U.S. Route 224, the fire chief noted. “Without keeping that money, that could never happen,” he said.

In the past, the police department was forced to make layoffs. The passing of this levy and another police levy in 2011 helped to rebuild the department. The chief said there are 58 full-time police officers and detectives.

“We have been rebuilding the police department, and that levy is an integral part of our budget,” Nichols said. “I would hate to have to take a step backward.”