Russell Trustees Vote to Place Additional 2.5-Mill Police Levy on Fall Ballot
Due to budget shortfalls and growing needs, Russell Township Police Department is asking for new levy money to help bridge the gaps, said Police Chief Tom Swaidner July 1.
Due to budget shortfalls and growing needs, Russell Township Police Department is asking for new levy money to help bridge the gaps, said Police Chief Tom Swaidner July 1.
“After the budget workshop meeting, we spoke about some of the shortfalls that our budget is seeing,” he said during the special meeting. “We worked with the fiscal office to crunch numbers and try to project out five years.”
Swaidner asked Russell Township Trustees to approve putting an additional 2.5-mill continuing levy on the Nov. 4 ballot, which they passed unanimously during the special meeting.
If voters pass the levy, it would yield $999,145 annually and cost homeowners $88 per year per $100,000 property valuation, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
On top of budget shortfalls, the police department is also seeing a growing need for a detective position, the chief told trustees.
“I think the addition of the detective position is crucial for the department,” he added. “We’ve seen the types of crimes change where they’ve become more labor intensive regarding the investigation side.”
The levy would help cover general operating costs and pay for the detective position, he told trustees.
“We want to make whatever financial decision is best for (residents),” Swaidner added.
Trustee Jim Mueller emphasized the township shouldn’t have a hard time passing the levy.
“The last time we went out for a levy, it was during a recession, 2008, and it passed 2-1,” he said. “So, people are very pleased with the service the police department has been giving and we have not asked for money for eight years.”
The police department has saved money whenever it could with grants and other methods to keep expenses down, Swaidner reassured trustees and those in attendance.
The department’s response-time remains under five minutes, the chief added.
“That’s (an) extremely important (factor) that we want to keep,” Mueller said.
Russell Township was ranked as the safest city in Ohio by the National Council for Home Safety and Security in 2017, he added.
“People in Russell are very pleased with the police department,” Mueller said, before trustees unanimously passed the resolution.
“There comes a point in time when you have to ask for more money,” Mueller said, “And this is that time.”
