If voters approve the new levy, it will cost homeowners $31.50 per $100,000 appraised estimated value, according to the Greene County Auditor’s Office. The levy will generate an estimated $238,000 annually.
“What we would like to do is as the township continues to grow, we would like to not only maintain those four deputies, we want to be able to expand that to cover the peak times where we’re having multiple calls (for service) going on at the same time,” said Beavercreek Twp. Administrator Alex Zaharieff. “The busier times in the township, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., is where we’re seeing those peaks.”
Currently the township uses three continuing levies — of 1, 0.9 and 3 mills — to fund police services. The last time the township asked voters to approve a police levy was 38 years ago in 1978, according to the township.
The levy will only impact residents in the unincorporated areas of the township.
Over a five-year period starting in 2011, the township police fund revenues have dropped 2 percent from $397,966 to $314,042 while expenditures have grown 33 percent from $270,908 to $360,143, according to township records.
“We believe we’ve extended our assets as long as we can with the police fund,” said Beavercreek Twp. Trustee Carol Graff. “To keep up the level of patrols that we currently get and, perhaps in the future maybe even increase it somewhat, additional funding is necessary … I believe what we’ve heard from our residents is they are pleased with what they get and would like to continue what they have.”
Significant residential growth and increased commercial development and redevelopment along the U.S. Route 35 corridor in the unincorporated area of the township has led to an increased need for services from the county sheriff, said Beavercreek Twp. Trustee Tom Kretz.
“Like many of our peer communities along the U.S. 35 and I-75 corridor, the township is fighting a heroin addiction, overdose and trafficking problem that is originating from outside of Greene county,” Kretz said. “This heroin epidemic is costing lives, families and taxpayer dollars and, while our sheriff is doing a fantastic job of combating the problems, we are still ‘chasing the puck’ and need to increase our efforts, patrols and interdiction efforts just to maintain the progress we have made.”
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