Miami Twp. asking voters to renew levy

Issue 40 would help keep security forces strong, officials say.

MIAMI TWP. — Voter approval of a renewal levy to fund police operations will help Miami Twp. maintain and improve the tools and techniques to keep the type of service residents have come to expect, officials say.

Issue 40 is a request to keep a 5.25-mill, five-year general operating levy that will help fund a variety day-to-day activities, said Miami Twp. Police Chief Ron Hess.

That includes salaries, equipment and maintenance that “will ensure consistent service for our residents” and “all items that we use daily to keep our security forces strong and the community safe,” he said.

If approved Nov. 6, Issue 40 would continue to cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 about $150 a year and would generate about $2.9 million annually, according to the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office.

“We’re not asking for any (tax) increases,” Miami Twp. Board of Trustees President John Morris said. “We want to continue the service that we’re providing.”

The levy, approved five years ago by more than 55 percent of voters, is one of two township levies that fund police operations. Since it passed, among the moves by the police department has been to gain national accreditation for the first time in more than 20 years and take measures to upgrade its crime analysis technology, officials said.

“We are also looking at new software that allows our officers to be more efficient and spend more time on the streets, and we can continue to recruit and hire new officers to the police force,” Hess said. “We want our officers to have the necessary equipment

and updated technology to effectively serve the community.”

Some levy funds are used for vehicle replacement, equipment replacement such as in- car computers, in- car video systems and software upgrades, according to the township.

“We also use seized federal and state funds for these capital improvements to offset the use of levy funds,” Hess said. “We work diligently to use the levy money for everyday expenses incurred by the department.”

If the levy fails to gain voter support, Hess said, daily police operations will be affected and “there will need to be some tough decisions made about what our funds can support.”