COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Voters in Colerain Township will decide on a levy that would provide funding for its police department in next month's election.
It's the third police levy vote in two years, the first in November 2023 and the second in March 2024. Both recent votes failed.
Colerain Township Administrator Jeff Weckbach told us the money will be used for operational costs and to hire seven new officers if the levy passes.
Weckbach said the cost would be about $188 for the average home in Colerain, which equates to approximately $102 per $100,000 for homeowners.
"We're hearing a lot from residents that they want to see more traffic enforcement and more of the proactive crime stops, whether it's drug-related or other things," Weckbach said.
Watch to hear how Colerain Township residents feel about the upcoming vote on a police department levy:
The township says it has had to cut staffing in the police department since the past two levies failed. Weckbach said officers are doing what they can with what they have.
"With our officers, they spend a lot of time being reactive to calls; they don't have a lot of time to do the proactive policing," Weckbach said.
A township spokesperson told us that if the vote fails, the department would face a $5 million deficit and possible staffing cuts.
We went out to Colerain Township to hear from the residents who will be casting ballots in less than two weeks. We spoke with one resident, Tricia Engel, who is undecided.
"I'm very much on the fence at this point in time," Engel said.
Engel told us her biggest concern is trusting leaders within the township.
"I do appreciate that they need more money to help keep us safe. But, in general, I'm not happy at all with the way things are going in Colerain Township and how they're spending money willy-nilly," Engel said.
The township referred us to Chad Ballard, a Colerain resident who's been advocating on behalf of the levy.
"I have children, everybody has, a lot of community members have children, we just want a safe place," Ballard said.
Ballard told us why he thinks voting yes will go a long way for him and his community.
"It will give us an extra seven additional officers, that would be one extra per shift. It would give us an extra beat, they could go back to proactive policing. One officer might not sound like a lot per shift, but it could make a big difference," Ballard said.
Colerain Township made a post about the levy on Oct. 15, on the township's Facebook page. Reaction from residents was mixed, with several "Yes" and "No" in the replies.
Several supporters said it can help with public safety, while opponents said they aren't interested in paying more in property taxes.
Residents can find more information about the levy on Colerain Township's website.
