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Canfield voters could decide a police levy in November
CANFIELD
Council members have arrived at a tentative plan for a police levy in November to address the city’s decrease in city revenue for 2016.
Cities and townships across Ohio are suffering from a loss of local share funding from the state.
In March, city council cut $800,000 out of 2016’s $11.3 million budget. The cuts came from nonmandated funds such as leaf pickup and brush pickup.
Councilman Chuck Tieche said early meetings, which take place at 6:30 a.m. every Wednesday in the administrative building, have proved quite productive, bringing council closer to a consensus as to a resolution to the revenue problem.
“The consensus is, we need additional revenue,” Tieche said. “Some methods discussed include income tax or a property-tax levy. The consensus of council is a property-tax levy to be placed on ballot for the November election. The consensus number is 3.9 mills and to be a police levy.”
The city does not currently have a police levy.
Tieche said there isn’t any formally enacted legislation yet, but he asked city Manager Joe Warino to prepare city Atty. Mark Fortunato to prepare legislation.
He estimated the annual revenue would be $750,000.
“That would be used in the police department and offset some of the expenses we incur in that department,” Tieche said.
Councilman Joe Locicero at Wednesday’s council meeting noted residents’ responses on questionnaires showed residents hold their safety in the highest regard.
“That’s why we went in the direction of a police levy,” Locicero said. “We want people to know voices have been heard. This was not done in a vacuum.”
Don Dragish, council president, said he hopes the public understands and supports council if it decides to go through with putting the levy on the ballot.
“If we don’t get those funds and that levy doesn’t pass, it doesn’t look good,” Dragish said. “This city is a very safe place, and we want to keep it that way.”
If the levy passes in November, the city wouldn’t see that revenue until the first quarter of 2018, making 2017 a “lean” year with more possible cuts to be made, Tieche said.