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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > August > 20 > Entry
Editorial: Xenia police, fire are out of line
Nobody in Xenia is out to hurt police and firefighters. Nobody wants to make that city less safe. All sides in the debate about Xenia’s charter amendment that would require a minimum size for the safety forces also recognize the problems that have been created by a collapsing budget.
But Get Alarmed Citizens of Xenia, a political action committee associated with the police and firefighters’ unions, is proposing an impossible idea. It wants to write into the city’s charter a requirement that the police force never fall below 45 and the fire department never drop to fewer than 43.
The idea is crazy. Staffing levels of particular departments are not the sort of thing that belong in a city charter. No one would ever suggest that Ohio should mandate in its constitution how many state troopers are patrolling the highways. Or that the U.S. Constitution should spell out the number of FBI agents. City council is right to be rallying community leaders against the proposal.
Xenia is terribly cash-strapped, having been hammered by deep declines in tax revenue since the 2008 recession began. Unemployment has spiked to 12 percent. As a result, Xenia has closed a fire station and laid off nine firefighters and six police officers.
Supporters of the charter amendment admit that a 0.5-percent income tax the city council wants voters to approve this fall is desperately needed. If it passes, council has pledged to rehire the laid-off police and firefighters and open the closed firehouse.
But what happens if the income tax fails and the charter amendment setting staffing levels passes? The city estimates up to 29 layoffs elsewhere in the city bureaucracy might be needed to offset the cost of the required hiring.
And that’s just the problem that would be created today. Suppose Xenia’s population were to fall sharply in the future, necessitating fewer police and firefighters? The charter amendment would force Xenia to keep spending tax dollars in ways that make no sense, while limiting spending on other crucial services.
Once a charter amendment is approved, it cannot be changed by a vote of city council. Voters would have to repeal it. Managing by charter change is no way to run a city. Council and its professional managers have to have flexibility.
The city’s fiscal crisis is threatening to make it hard for its leaders to deploy enough police and firefighters so that everyone can sleep well at night. But the best way for Xenia voters to help the city maintain quality safety forces is to back the city’s income tax levy, not vote for a charter amendment that would tie city council’s hands.
Talks are under way between the city and the unions to come up with a plan that everyone can get behind. That’s a good sign. Part of the deal should include a pledge from Get Alarmed Citizens of Xenia to pull its charter amendment off the ballot.
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By fortressdayton
August 20, 2010 9:51 AM | Link to this
The grass is always greener…somewhere else. Xenia has a good level of fire and police coverage. I live in Dayton and worked in Xenia for years. I never waited longer than minutes (not hours like in Dayton) for police to arrive after being summoned. Police unions, like teacher’s unions have become powers unto themselves, and while they do want what is best for them, that isn’t the only measure of what’s good for a community. People are at the end of their financial ropes, and fear mongering to squeeze money out of citizens is irresponsible. If Xenia can afford to lure sex offenders from all over the country to then fine them and send them on their way, it seems they may wish to look at priorities. Luring people to Xenia to convict them of an offense that would not otherwise have happened is a waste of public funds. 45 police officers seems like a lot to me, but I am sure many of those officers are tied to admin duties.
By Don
August 20, 2010 10:34 AM | Link to this
I find it hard to believe that the fire and police unions are attempting to bring this amendment to the citizens of Xenia. I have lost a lot of respect for our police and fire professionals in Xenia.
By Davidss2
August 20, 2010 2:14 PM | Link to this
Fortress Dayton: I suspect many of those officers are spending time entrapping folks into a noncrime of talking to someone over 18 about sex. They discovered there’s grant money to be had if you entrap the perverts on the internet. It’s sort of like the DDN making a big stink over a political group having a card club for businesses. It’s okay if the Democrat liberals do it but awful if the TEA party does it.
By Rick
August 20, 2010 4:37 PM | Link to this
Please dont pass jdugement on every member of the police/fire departments. Most of the safety employees agree its a bad idea. It was started by a few.
By Joe
August 20, 2010 4:51 PM | Link to this
This editorial is cleary written by city management. The city wants to increase taxes on everyone and claim its for police/fire,but don’t want to be held accountable to dedicate those funds by a charter.A charter is not impossible, Springfield has had min staffing in theirs for years.
By Craig
August 20, 2010 11:14 PM | Link to this
Times are tough. I am just back to work after being off for a year and a half. At a much lower rate also. Choices have to be made and until new jobs (industries) are created, we all (including the city of Xenia) must do more with less. I will be voting NO on both issues.
By Bill
August 21, 2010 8:03 AM | Link to this
Just wait until the end of this year in Montgomery County. Sheriff Plummer hired 2 capts from the park district after telling the unions if “they help him out and accept NO PAY raise he will take care of them during the next negotiation process. We will see.
By smoke & mirrors
August 21, 2010 9:12 AM | Link to this
I can’t remember the judge or the county in Ohio but the judge said for people to arm themselves as police forces shrink. They need to protect themselves. I’m happy to say I have a head start.
By Jack
August 21, 2010 3:39 PM | Link to this
@ to Smoke and Mirrors. It was Greene County.
By Jim A
August 28, 2010 10:30 PM | Link to this
The unemployement rate for Xenia Police and Fire, Ohio State and Federal government workers needs to increase to 19% just like the private sector for a start.
By Jim A
August 28, 2010 10:30 PM | Link to this
The unemployement rate for Xenia Police and Fire, Ohio State and Federal government workers needs to increase to 19% just like the private sector for a start.