The 1.2 mills option would allow the police department to maintain current service levels as they are now, while the 1.8 mill option would allow the city to hire five additional police officers. Beavercreek has long expressed the need to hire additional police officers, saying growth of the police department has not kept up with the growth of the city.
The new millage amounts would not include additional capital funding for new police facilities, which was part of the city’s most recent property tax request in November. Beavercreek placed two levies on the ballot on Nov. 8, one for streets and one for police. The streets levy passed, but voters rejected a new 2.5-mill police levy on Election Day, with 53% of voters against it and 47% of voters in favor. Money from that levy would have allowed for hiring the five officers, buying and maintaining equipment, and would have provided long-term funding for new police facilities.
City Manager Pete Landrum told city council Monday that at current revenue levels, 2023 expenses for the police department would outpace revenue by $1.4 million.
Beavercreek is not planning any cuts for the 2023 budget cycle, Landrum said. However, if the city doesn’t receive any new funding for police in May, the city is projecting a hiring freeze on police officers, and not filling the positions of any officers who retire or leave the force. About 80% of the city’s police budget goes toward personnel costs.
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