VIENNA – Voters here will decide Tuesday the fate of a levy that, if passed, would provide more money to the police department.

A 1.5-mill, five-year additional levy would raise $132,000 a year for the department for daily expenses, like police officer salaries. The levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $53 a year. The department has two full-time officers and 11 part-time officers, including one that acts as a school resource or D.A.R.E. officer. The salary for that officer is shared with Mathews Schools.

Police Chief Andrew Pecchio and trustees are calling for the levy in an attempt to maintain a police presence and response to calls that have increased to 5,020 in 2014, up about a half-percent from the 4,990 in 2011.

The number of arrests by the department is up about 50 percent over the same time frame, and the number of reports taken by Vienna officers increased 43 percent. The officers also are issuing more traffic citations, statistics show. There were 35 tickets issued in 2011 and 558 in 2014.

As a result, Pecchio noted that major crimes in the township are down 7 percent since 2011, “largely due to a team effort from all the members of the police department and an excellent relationship with our community neighborhood watch program. This is also due to efficient utilization of department manpower.”

Vienna Township police also provides security by contract to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, in the amount of $50,000.

Trustee Heidi Brown said the levy would help the township to maintain the 24-7 police coverage without requiring a subsidy from the township’s general fund, which last year totaled $50,000.

news@tribtoday.com