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McDONALD -- The police and fire chiefs of McDonald expressed the need for passage of a 4.5-mill safety forces levy on the November ballot.
The chiefs also noted if a business locates at the former McDonald Steel property, it will mean additional taxes for the village, which will help the safety forces.
Village council has placed a 4.5-mill, five-year levy on the ballot to generate $310,000 for funding police, fire and emergency medical service. The levy will cover costs for day-to-day operations of each department, equipment and wages.
Police Chief Ryan Ronghi told residents at a recent meeting the police officers have not received a cost-of-living adjustment since 2023, making it harder to keep officers who then go elsewhere for more money and harder to attract people to work in the village in the first place. Ronghi said an officer recently announced he is leaving for Liberty.
The department has seven full-time officers, including the chief, and will be less one when the officer leaves.
"We need to keep wages competitive. Officers go to other higher paying communities, so it is hard to attract applicants," Ronghi said.
He said the department pays officers $26 per hour while other departments pay more than $31 per hour.
Ronghi said the police department budget is $604,760. He said if the levy passes, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $158 per year.
"The levy is so important. I have lived here for 35 years. The well has run dry,"' Ronghi said.
Ronghi also said a business is needed to bring income taxes to the village. He said council is trying to make the best possible decision for the village and businesses, including a data center, would bring more money to the village.
"This is a mill town. We had a mill, but it closed in 2023.We need a business to come to the village and help the village financially. If we keep losing officers and can't afford to have police or fire, there will be a real problem,'' Ronghi said.
Fire Chief Fred Marcum said since he became chief in December 2022, the department has provided coverage every day to the community.
Marcum said firefighters make $18 per hour in McDonald while departments are paying $22 and $23 per hour in Austintown, Vienna and Girard.
Marcum said there needs to be a way to generate revenue for the village.
He said like the police, the fire department members have not had an increase since 2023 with the village not able to provide what other communities are paying their firefighters.
He said the fire roster has 20 to 21 firefighters.
Marcum said his budget of $258,000 allows for staffing of the department from 8 a.m. to midnight. He said $316,000 would be the amount needed to staff the department for 24 hours each day.
Marcum said the fire gear lasts 10 years and then needs to be replaced. He said training someone to become a firefighter takes two years at a cost of $5,000.
"While passage of the levy is important, it will be only a small band aid,'' he said.
He assured residents at a recent meeting that if a data center were to be located in the village he as fire chief would make sure the company follows the highest standards of the fire codes. Marcum said the fire department would not be able to handle the construction of a large data center.
Village council last week placed a one-year moratorium on data centers in the village.
Council President Sean Schmidt said it is important to support the police and fire who support the residents in a time of need.
In other business, councilwoman Kerrie Reckard said security cameras are being installed in parts of the park, including by the splash pad. She said work will soon begin for a nine-hole disc golf course
Council President Sean Schmidt said council is working on legislation on e-bikes that will require those on electric vehicles to follow rules of the road. He said police have provided helmets to benefit the children riding bikes.
Council also announced the Oktoberfest will be 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 10 at Woodland Park with food vendors, games, crafts and entertainment.