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BOARDMAN -- Township leaders are mulling their next steps after voters defeated a safety services levy on Tuesday.
A 2.75-mill additional levy to support Boardman's police and fire departments failed by 148 votes, 8,927 to 8,779 - or roughly 50.4% to 49.6% – according to complete and unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections. The levy would have generated about $3.8 million annually, to be split evenly between the two departments.
"The whole township, we respect the will of the voters and they made their decision, and now it's our turn to figure out how we can make this work, maybe under different circumstances or by pursuing alternatives," said Township Administrator Mark Ragozine. "No one here is running away from a challenge. We'll continue to do the best we can for the residents."
In July, Fiscal Officer Brad Calhoun presented trustees with projections showing that Boardman’s appropriations will outpace its revenues by nearly $867,000 in 2027, roughly $5.33 million in 2028 and as much as $8.86 million in 2031.
Somewhere in there, Ragozine said, is a $3.5 million to $3.8 million gap in funding for police and fire, which this year's levy was supposed to help cover so the township could maintain services at their current level.
Calhoun and Ragozine note that Boardman has not obtained additional funding since 2011. The township did attempt to secure a 4.5-mill fire department levy in 2024 to generate $6.1 million for EMS services, but that effort failed by a 56% to 44% margin.
In 2025, the township failed to place a 2.5-mill current expenses levy on the ballot for renewal. Funds for that levy, originally passed in 1995, were collected in tax year 2025, but have not been collected in 2026.
County Auditor Ralph Meacham said the levy was worth $1.971 million annually.
Ragozine said this year’s request is not an effort to recoup those funds, because additional money likely would have been necessary anyway. He said that levy also was a general fund levy for operating expenses.
Ragozine said township leaders are still processing the results from Tuesday.
"We're a little less than 18 hours removed, so we're evaluating everything," he said. "We're looking at it all from not only a service-related standpoint, but also how can we defer some major purchases - what are the changes we can make so we don't disrupt or reduce safety services in any way?"
Ragozine said he expects he and the board of trustees, along with Calhoun, will have more decisions to make in early 2027.
"Nothing will change today or tomorrow, but we have mounting pressure to adjust the budget to make sure our revenues and expenditures are much more aligned," he said.
Ragozine said the township may consider seeking incorporation as a city.
"We have the road map and we have the understanding of what it takes to incorporate as a city. So if voters don't want to deal so much with property taxes, that's a possibility. We've also been speaking to our legislators about what it might take for a large urban township like Boardman to maybe put on a 0.25% sales tax," he said. "We've been talking about those things for the past six months, just as ideas, because we were waiting to see the levy results. But one way or another, we need to pursue long term solutions for stability in the township."
He said if the township does opt for incorporation, that too will be decided by residents.
"We're really not sure of a timeline on that. Maybe it's something that could be on the ballot for next November. Right now, we're all trying to process what happened yesterday," he said.
CHIEFS WEIGH IN
Newly-appointed fire Chief Bill Glaser mostly deferred to Ragozine to comment on the levy loss.
"As far as next steps, that will be driven by the administration. We're just reviewing everything right now and putting a plan together," he said. "We'll pivot and adjust, and do our best to keep providing this service. But the voters have spoken."
Glaser, a long-time veteran of the department and former assistant chief, was formally hired last month after stepping in as interim chief following the departure of Mark Pitzer. In August, Pitzer took the deputy chief position in his hometown of Canfield.
On Monday, the department also will swear in a new captain, firefighter Steve Stilson.
In October, Ragozine said the department is staffed with 33 personnel right now and is authorized to be at 38, but given the department’s and the township’s finances, Boardman is only focusing on the command positions.
Glaser's hiring means a captain will likely step into the assistant chief's chair, opening up another captain's position.
IAFF Local 1176 President Brian Hallquist said staffing has been a problem for at least 18 months, which is the last time the department was staffed at 36 firefighters.
Since summer alone, he said, they have lost Pitzer, Capt. William Ferrando, one firefighter to Rocky River near Cleveland and another to the city of Alliance. Hallquist said there is another firefighter retiring at the end of this month and two more after the new year.
And the personnel issues say nothing of the department's apparatus and equipment needs.
Police Chief Todd Werth spoke at greater length about the challenges his department faces.
"Obviously, we're disappointed, but the Boardman Police Department, our officers are professionals and we'll continue to work hard, show up to work every day, and just go from there," he said. "The issue, I believe, was property tax concerns and I get that and I respect that. We still have to try and keep the community safe; that's our mandate and what we do."
The department is short about eight officers and five dispatchers right now, he said. Boardman optimally runs with 63 officers and 16 to 17 dispatchers. Right now, it's carrying 55 and 11, respectively.
Werth said some retirements also are pending at year's end.
He said equipment concerns, including vehicles, will start to become more pronounced.
"It's always a balance, and for equipment in policing, any time you have short funding years, it will snowball, especially our fleet. As you don't buy (new cruisers), the maintenance on older ones starts to escalate."
He said, even if there is money to hire personnel, it becomes harder to attract and maintain them.
"The training budget is always a concern. A good police department recruits veterans and hires good officers and staff, and part of that is attracting good candidates with good wages and good training," he said. "As our budget tightens, one thing with the potential for cuts is training and that can take a toll."