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VIENNA -- The township's fiscal commission voted 7-0 Monday to move forward with the plan officials selected to get the township out of fiscal emergency.
The plan includes a 3.5-mill replacement fire levy passing, all regular levies being renewed and speed cameras staying until the end of 2028, but includes capital needs such as two used police cruisers, an ambulance and road department vehicle.
Tisha Turner and Angela DeNunzio, representing the state auditor's office, explained the plan shows that any anticipated revenue from the township's traffic cameras will be shared between the police and fire fund, which will be done through transfers.
Also up for consideration in the plan are forecasted salaries for police, road and bridge employees and trustees, DeNunzio said.
She said the township's intent is to pay road and bridge employees from the gas tax fund for the remainder of 2024 and a portion of 2025, which is why the plan shows additional funds under split personal services under gas.
DeNunzio said township officials anticipate requesting the 1-mill police levy expiring in 2025 and the 3-mill levy expiring in 2026 to be renewed, which also has been factored into the plan.
DeNunzio said the 3.5-mill replacement fire levy will be placed on the ballot for the upcoming November election.
"The township's intent to place the 3.5-mill fire levy would be to then request the county auditor to stop collections on the current levies. So it would be the new 3.5-mill levy," DeNunzio said.
"With the fire fund passing the new levy, the township's intent is to bring back additional fire personnel," DeNunzio added. "And bringing back those fire services, the township would be able to bill for ambulance (services)."
The plan's last page accounts for any capital items, such as vehicles the township hopes to purchase, such as a road and bridge vehicle and two used police cruisers, one in 2026 and one in 2028.
Kim Ellis, a Vienna resident, stormed out upon learning from Matt Sladek, the chairman of the committee, that the meeting would not be open to public comment.
"We don't have a damn say-so, but they're bringing it to vote on. That is almost double. We didn't put ourselves in this position and it should take a while to come out of it. We don't have to come out of it instantaneously in 18, 24 months. We need to slow our spending down, think about it, and think about what it's going to do."
Ellis said a majority of the people in the township are over 50, some older, and they're on a fixed income.
"You're going to slap them, and they're going to come up with that how? They can't go and get work on the side," Ellis said.