Hubbard Township trustees ask residents why last year’s levy failed

January 25, 2019 at 12:07a.m.

HUBBARD TOWNSHIP

Township trustees sought to figure out at Thursday night’s town hall meeting what they could do differently to pass two police levies this spring.

Last November’s continuous 3.5-mill police levy was rejected by just 17 votes. Since then, the township has had to take out a $200,000 loan just to cover police payroll.

“It’s more important today than it has been my whole career to have good police protection. ... I think people realize that, too. It’s important for the community,” said township police Chief Todd Coonce.

Voters will choose in May whether to approve a 1.75-mill renewal levy and a 1.75-mill additional levy that will fund police cruisers, training and equipment.

Some residents told trustees the language of the levy was confusing last year.

Trustees explained that if the 3.5-mill levy had been passed, the 1.75-mill levy that expires this year wouldn’t have been up for renewal. The levy was needed to cover a budget shortfall and to keep the department operating, said Trustee Fred Hanley.

“I’m for the police department, but I voted against it,” resident Jim Phillips said. He suggested trustees should have eliminated the 1.75-mill renewal levy altogether and asked for a combined levy, but a lower millage than the 3.5 mills.

Trustee Tom Jacobs acknowledged the phrasing was confusing, but said Trumbull County prosecutor, not trustees, controls the language.

Resident Tanna Angyal also suggested that different wording may have changed voting outcomes.

“I voted down the levy. ... Maybe I misunderstood, but the language wasn’t clear,” she said.

She said the language made it seem like there was a 3.5-mill continuous levy plus an additional 1.75-mill levy.

Resident Meg Evans agreed. She said she would vote for a 3.5-mill levy, which the upcoming levies amount to, but that’s not what the last levy appeared to be.

“People saw the word ‘additional’ and said no,” she said.

Residents also suggested using social media to promote and explain levies and township matters.

Angyal said she sent a Facebook message last year to the township police department’s Facebook page seeking information about the levy, and was told to contact the trustees, but she didn’t know how to contact them.

“If you had a social media presence, you could answer these questions and interact with people,” Angyal said. “If you go on any of the Hubbard Facebook pages, people were expressing their opinions – nobody is opposed to the police department; nobody wants to see our police not receiving what they need to keep us safe.”

Angyal and Evans said there should be more of an explanation of what levies will do, but there was no awareness of how much the levies were needed.

“If the wording reflected that we are supporting our police officers, not just buying cruisers, then I think people would have voted for it,” Angyal said.

Trustee Rick Hernandez said he was disappointed that only nine people came, but said they may have another meeting before the election and promote it more. The trustees agreed they would discuss using the internet to alert people about upcoming meetings and to engage with residents.