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Campbell seeks road levy renewal in November
By Sarah Lehr
CAMPBELL
The city is asking for five-year renewal of a 3-mill levy for streets and sidewalks.
City council voted Wednesday to ask the Mahoning County Board of Elections to place the tax measure on the November general-election ballot.
If approved by voters, renewal of the tax would generate $198,340 annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $105 per year. The city supplements its road-levy revenue with matching state grants.
Additionally, council approved payment of $14,410 to ADP Inc. for payment, time and attendance services. Among other changes, the service will allow the city to set up direct-deposit for employee paychecks. Because of this technology, the city will not replace a payroll clerk slated to retire this year.
Council also authorized a $36,000 yearly contract for Maureen O’Neil, who is tasked with registering vacant buildings and cleaning up properties within the city. Her salary will come from the trash fund.
The city first hired O’Neil in 2015. She had previously been working under six-month contracts of $18,000 each.
In other business, council approved $1,245 to be paid to the Cincinnati Insurance Co. for employee dishonesty insurance this year. The city has purchased similar plans previously as a financial safeguard against theft and embezzlement by city employees.
Council is reviewing a proposed amendment that would cut $167,611 from the 2017 budget. The revision would slash the $3,156,569 general fund to $2,988,948, so as to avoid a projected year-end deficit in that fund.
If council gives final approval to the amendment during its next regular meeting, the total budget will be about $9.6 million aggregated from all funds.
Also during the March 1 meeting, council is expected to vote on final passage of a measure to replace police dispatchers with civilian dispatchers.
Currently, auxiliary police officers perform dispatch duties when they are not on the road. The change would cut costs because auxiliary officers earn between $11.75 to $14.50 hourly, but the civilian dispatchers would earn only $10 hourly.
As is the case with auxiliary police officers, the civilian dispatchers would work part time without benefits.
Council voted to amend the proposed ordinance, stipulating the city can have no more than six civilian dispatchers on its roster at a time. Additionally, only one dispatcher, not including any trainees, would be allowed to work per shift.