Funds generated by the levy can only be used for police-related expenses.
The proposed levy would cost property owners an additional $31.50 per year, for every $100,000 of property value, according to the auditor’s office.
Washington Twp. Board of Trustees on Monday approved a resolution to proceed with placing the levy on the May 5, 2026 ballot.
If voters approve the levy, the additional funding it generates will help the township keep up with rising costs and add more police services to meet the community’s growing needs, township spokeswoman Sarah Swan told Dayton Daily News.
“Washington Twp. is one of the fastest growing communities in Ohio,” Swan said. “This means there are more roads and neighborhoods to patrol and more cases to investigate. The number of calls for police services is 20% more than pre-pandemic numbers.”
If the levy is approved, the township plans to add one detective and two road patrol deputies, plus purchase two more cruisers, to meet the community’s growing needs, Swan said.
The township has partnered with MCSO since the 1970s, Swan said.
The MCSO Washington Twp. Substation at 8190 McEwen Road serves more than 37,000 residents in the unincorporated area of the township, she said.
It is staffed by nearly 37 people, including a captain, an administrative sergeant, four-and-half road patrol sergeants, 20 road patrol deputies, three school resource officers, one traffic services deputy, three detectives, a Community-Oriented-Policing deputy, a K9 deputy and a secretary.
There are two levies that support police operations in the township, with the latest one approved by voters in 2020, Swan said.
Those taxes bring in about $5.3 million per year, she said. Property owners currently pay $96.03 per year, for every $100,000 of property value, for police services.
Voted levies like the proposed one are the primary source of funding for Ohio townships, which do not have their own authority to collect income or sales tax, the township said in a release. Because state law keeps funding from voted levies relatively flat, additional levies are necessary to keep up with rising costs or to add more services, according to the township.
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