LIBERTY — Weeks after the township lost the ability to use traffic cameras, one resident questioned how the loss of funds would affect the police department’s staffing.

Jason Schilling said at Monday’s regular trustees meeting that when he moved to the area six years ago, the department had close to 21 officers on staff. He asked where the township was at now, as well as whether they planned to put a levy on to make up for the shortfall.

Trustee Greg Cizmar said they hired one Monday, Jennifer Hudson-Hightower, which brought the department’s staffing up to 18.

“I think people are going to need to realize that, no, I don’t think they’ll be able to be back to the 21 level, I’m going to be very honest,” trustee Arnie Clebone said. “I think maybe a decision that the taxpayers will have to make.”

Clebone said the township would have to evaluate the current situation, and if they were to put a levy on, it would be up to the taxpayers to determine the degree of the levy.

Fiscal Officer Matthew Connelly said he hasn’t looked at putting a police or fire levy on the ballot at this point. but the funds the township has coming in are fine, and the departments are budgeting.

“It was bringing in almost $2 million two years ago — just that camera money. And then it was reduced down to a little over a million,” Connelly said. “Now this year, we only budgeted $900,000; half of that money goes to the police department. The other half goes to the general fund, and we would take that half in the general fund, and we can do a couple of roads with that.”

Connelly said they might not be able to do as many roads as they did in the past, but reiterated that they weren’t looking at a policy levy at the moment.

Connelly said the police department previously had two full-time police officers at the schools, which was later reduced to one.

However, the school district picked up the other full-time officer and plans to pay for their salary and benefits, which saved the township $75,000 a year.

Connelly said the township was cautious not to tie the staffing levels to the traffic camera revenue, adding that they didn’t want to see the “rug get pulled out from under them” if the funds went away, as they previously did.

Trustee Devon Stanley said the township has been “actively interviewing” candidates to continue bolstering the township’s police department.

“We made an offer or two. They just went somewhere else,” Stanley said. “Just like the other safety forces, you know. Fire isn’t what it used to be, where everybody wanted to be a fireman or policeman when they grew up. It’s just not the same, unfortunately — we’re competing for the same bodies out there.”