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CHAMPION -- Voters in Champion will be asked to support a 5-year, 5.5- mills combined police and fire levy on the Nov. 7 general election ballot that will generate $1.06 million per year for day-to-day operations of the two departments.
The additional levy for safety services would help the two departments purchase much-needed equipment, such as radios in police cruisers, according to Trustee Chairman Bill Templeton. He also added it will allow them to plan ahead when it comes to replacing its aging fleet.
Trustees have said the township also would be able to hire three additional full-time firefighters and one or two full-time police officers.
Should the levy pass, Fiscal Officer Courtney Hatt said it would cost the owner of a home with an assessed value of $100,000 an additional $193 per year.
Fire Chief Tom Dempsey said staffing has been a concern for the fire department with shifts often covered by skeleton crews.
Trustee Rex Fee said trustees spoke to Weathersfield officials on what they did for passage of their safety forces levy in May.
"I spoke to Weathersfield about their levy because I had some concerns at first. They told me it has worked out well in Weathersfield," Fee said.
Police Chief Larry Skaggs said the funds from the levy will benefit both the police and fire departments. Officials said the money will be used for fire and police equipment and apparatus and buildings, and personnel in both departments.
Skaggs and Dempsey said both departments are seeing increases in calls and staff leaving for better paying jobs.
Dempsey said the fire department has been working with a skeleton crew.
In 2022, the fire department ran 2,437 calls, with Dempsey saying those numbers are expected to be surpassed this year.
Skaggs said for the amount of calls the police department receives, at least one more full-time officer, and possibly two, are needed. In 2022, the police department responded to 4,317 calls. He predicts calls will be up by 2,500 by the end of the year.