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The city of Fairborn plans to put two property tax renewal levies on the March ballot to maintain the current service levels of the police and fire departments.
A passage of the 4.4-mill property tax renewal levies would mean no new taxes, city officials said, and would generate approximately $2 million annually for each department for years 2017-2021.
If the levies were to fail, reductions would have to be made because the loss of revenue would be “detrimental to the departments,” Fairborn City Manager Deborah McDonnell said.
The revenue brought in from the levies makes up about 29 percent of the total budget for each department, McDonnell said.
“We’ve got to make sure we have the proper levels of police and fire to meet the needs of the community,” Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick said. “The No. 1 job of any community government is to provide safety and security of its citizens. The citizens have stepped up to the plate in the past, and we hope they continue to do so.”
According to Greene County Auditor David Graham, a Fairborn resident who owns a $100,000 home pays about $135 per year in property taxes for each of the levies.
Fairborn City Council is expected to approve resolutions at its Dec. 7 meeting to place the renewal levies on the March ballot.
If they pass, they will take effect in 2017. The city opted to put them on the March ballot so they won't appear with the school district's bond levy issue for new buildings in November, McDonnell said.
The current staffing level for the police department — which has a budget of $7 million — is 46 sworn officers, Police Chief Terry Barlow said.
“The renewal of these levies will allow the department to continue to police the community without the interruption of not enough staffing or poor equipment to utilize,” Barlow said. “We are making strides every day in combating crime in the city, and the levy funding will allow this to continue on.”
The fire department’s 2015 budget also is a little more than $7 million. There are 54 firefighters/paramedics in the department, Fire Chief Mike Riley said.
“We are very grateful for the past support from our community and seek their continued support in 2016,” Riley said.
In November 2014, voters approved a 0.25-percent, 10-year earned income tax continuing levy for the police/fire departments. Three police officers and three firefighters were hired as a result of that levy passing, McDonnell said.
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