New levies deliver new hope for safety services

Village, township officials say additional funds will keep services afloat

Austintown's newly approved levy for fire and EMS services will generate more than $2 million annually.

While other, smaller communities passed levies for lesser amounts, the new revenue seems just as much like winning the lottery for the departments they support.

The fate of the measures remained in doubt until results came in Tuesday night.

"We're very thankful," said Austintown fire Chief Andy Frost. "With the tax revaluation, we knew it would create hard decisions for people and we weren't sure how it was going to go. We've always enjoyed great support from the community, but the timing was difficult. So, were just thrilled and pleasantly surprised."

Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham was required by state law in September to release the findings of a mandatory revaluation of property, which revealed that the county will see an average increase in value of 38%. Austintown saw one of the county's highest proposed reappraisals at 42.8%. Final property tax amounts will be available in mid-January.

Meacham and local officials said the prospect of tax increases did not bode well for levies like Austintown's.

"We did not have enough money to operate in 2024. We would have had to make staff reductions, that was inevitable," Frost said. "It would have hit both services, but it would hit EMS services a lot more."

Frost said layoffs would have been decided by seniority, favoring those who have been with the department the longest. While that would translate to fewer firefighters on calls no matter what, it disproportionately would have depleted the department's emergency medical staff.

"Our younger guys are our paramedics," he said.

Instead of cuts, though, the 3.5-mill continuous levy, which passed by a 56% to 44% margin, will provide much-needed relief.

"Our first priority is just to keeping everyone working and keep answering the calls we answer now," Frost said, adding that some vehicles also need new tires and the department will replace some expired fire gear.

"We don't have any lofty goals of big purchases. We just want to maintain our services, and we'll be able to maintain the stations and equipment," he said. "We've always been good stewards of Austintown's money and we're going to continue that. They were kind enough to present us with this levy money and we're going to repay them by still living within tight budgets."

The department will start to see those funds in early 2024.

Like Austintown, officials in Smith Township, Sebring and New Middletown say they are pleasantly surprised and very grateful that voters supported the measures. The levies, they said, represent the difference between maintaining, or even improving, services to the community and making painful decisions about services and staffing.

NEW MIDDLETOWN

New Middletown voters, by a 52% to 48% margin, approved an additional 3.5-mill levy that will generate $103,000 annually for fire and EMS service.

Fire Chief Lee Ingold couldn't help laughing at the timing of the levy.

"Yeah, why don't we just pick the worst possible time for a tax levy?" he said.

New Middletown's fire department hasn't seen an increase in 23 years. That levy is still on the books and generating roughly $63,000 per year. The new levy will add to that revenue.

Ingold said the results were surprising, given tax concerns, but he said the community also has a good relationship with its fire department, which is all volunteer.

"We talked to the community and we listened to the community," he said. "And we are very excited that the community responded in a positive way. This will definitely move us in the right direction."

Ingold said the department's biggest goal is to enhance EMS services by purchasing an ambulance to ensure the community always has access to one.

"With EMS being the way it is, which comprises most of our runs, we're often waiting for an ambulance -- sometimes calls can take 20 minutes or a half hour," he said. "We've been able to deal with it, with our paramedics and EMTs and our first response team, but we needed this to be able to move forward."

New Middletown also will see funds start to come in early next year.

SMITH TOWNSHIP

Smith Township Police Department will have to wait until 2025, though, before it enjoys the benefits of its newly passed levy.

The additional 3-mill levy narrowly passed by a 51% to 49% margin, and will generate $235,000 per year for fire and police services.

However, the township contracts with Sebring Village for fire service and pays roughly $55,000 per year. Sebring just passed an additional 4.5-mill fire levy, 52% to 48%, which will generate $240,000 annually, putting both communities on solid ground for fire and EMS services.

For Smith Township, the primary concern was the police department. The township's last police levy was passed in 1999.

"We have operated solely on that," said police Chief Paul Ceresna. "Since I took over as chief in 2017, I have made cuts. I pulled shifts and we went to a single car per shift, and stopped buying new vehicles. We've bought used, and that saves $30,000 per car."

In 2021, the department didn't have money for a car in its budget, and trustees provided American Rescue Plan money for the purpose.

Ceresna said he was especially surprised by the vote, considering that the township has a reputation for not passing levies. A police levy last year failed by 79 votes, and the one before that, in 2012, failed by hundreds of votes in the small community.

"They don't approve levies too often," he said, "but we got the public to come help out and a couple local families that put a lot of work in -- I cannot thank them enough -- and it worked out for the best."

Ceresna said he has no bold plans for the money.

"Our plan for that money is just to keep the doors open," he said. "We were considering cutting midnight shift. I was quiet about it but kept it in the back of my mind."

He said when the money starts coming in, the department may add some staffing and possibly a car.

"We have no full-time detective, only two part-timers that come in as needed, so that's a strong possibility that I'll add that."

Trustee Terry Criss said some of the money also will cover the costs of dispatch and the EMS services the township receives through Sebring.

SEBRING

Sebring Village Manager Tim Gabrelcik said he was mildly surprised the fire levy passed, given that the village had four levies on its ballot in addition to two countywide levies for Children's Services and the Mental Health and Recovery Board.

"We're appreciative that the voters have the confidence in us, and we'll give them the services they're putting their money toward," he said.

Gabrelcik said the village already is forecasting and budgeting for how it will use the money.

"We're projecting that, maybe three years out, we'll need a new ambulance and that costs about $400,000, so it'll take two years to raise that money," he said.

He said that in the second half of 2024, the village hopes to provide 24/7 EMS shifts. Sebring also will earmark some of the funds for equipment replacement, funding for volunteer firefighter retention and grant matches. He said the village also wants to upgrade its dispatch center.

"We definitely have some antiquated equipment, so I might hit up the commissioners for some assistance with that," he said.