Colerain Township Police Department: Levy Failure Fallout; Residents Weigh In
2024-04-14
It was a tough pill to swallow for Colerain Township when an overwhelming majority of residents voted against supporting a police levy - again. The property tax would have cost residents about $11 a month per $100K in home value. Over 55% of voters rejected the increase in their property taxes. Many residents complained the township spent $2M purchasing the vacated Sears building at Northgate Mall while others' primary complaint was the sticker shock from the 30+% increase in their current property taxes mandated by the state treasurer. The majority of voters opposing the levy reside on the more affluent, west side of Colerain. Lori McMullin, of the Greater Northbrook Community Group and a commissioner on the township's zoning board, lives on the east side of Colerain. She teared up at a trustee meeting,
I'm pissed! ... people didn't even show up to vote."
McMullin's primary concern was for the safety of Colerain police officers.
Trustees' primary concern is for their budget fallout.
Trustees anticipate a $4M shortfall next year if cuts aren't made.
Solicitation (either door-to-door or panhandlers on exit ramps)
Noise Complaints (loud music, construction noise, commercial vehicle noise, etc.)*
Animal Complaints (unless someone’s safety in question)*
Vehicle Lockouts (unless a child is locked in the car)
Escorts for custody exchanges
Per a review of the Colerain Township Police, 2021 Annual Report, (the earliest version available online), these services comprise 26% of the township's policing activities. The report also indicates, at that time, the department was staffed with 28 officers and 14 support staff. That equates to 81% of the expenses in running the police department.
Between the 26% decrease in services and the 81% costs for staff, the police division staffing levels can be maintained.
However, residents have other suggestions, per a perusal of social media sites. According to one poster, "I observed 24 vehicles sitting at the administration building on Tuesday at the trustee's meeting - seems to me, we can cut back on our vehicle stock."
Turns out, a few years back, the township opted to provide all officers their own cars - even those stationed at 1 location. The former police chief, Mark Denney, claimed it would save the township money in the long run. His proposal also permitted some officers to take their own cars home in the evening. This was proposed as an intended "perk" to recruit officers to the police force.
Also, another poster mentioned the (14) support staff under the police budget.
Staffing changes shortly before the current police chief's appointment, brought over staff from the Zoning and Administrative Departments to the police department, drastically increasing staffing costs. It is far more expensive to pay a police officer and all their benefits to perform the work of a zoning/nuisance inspector than a staffer. The cost is nearly 3 times the historical costs when these positions were under the zoning department. Police officers cost the township approximately $140K a year for wages and benefits, not including a personal police cruiser.
In addition, rental registrations are now budgeted under the police department, as well as, vacant property registration and tall grass complaints. These are all functions that generally fall under administration - not police budgets.
The township has shifted the budget around to make it appear that the township policing is at stake when levies do not pass, when in reality, these costs should never have been under the police department in the first place.
One resident, who voted in favor of the levy, took another approach consistent with the suggestion of poster Jeff Moorman on the Facebook page, "What's Up, Colerain? ":
Forget cutting costs. Let's talk raising funds. Here me out -
She proposed at the trustee meeting that instead of jacking up the costs of everything from property taxes to service fees for residents, the township creates a JEDD, Joint Economic Development District, to encompass all properties currently owned by the township. Under a JEDD, any income earned in the district would be subject to a 2% income tax. Her position was that, since few of the township's employees live in Colerain - and therefore pay no property taxes here - they should pay the same income tax as their counterparts in North College Hill, Blue Ash, Cleves, Cheviot, and Cincinnati.
She asserts that Colerain employees who chose not to live in the township but receive highly competitive pay, extraordinary benefits, and perks above that of the average Colerain resident, should pay their "fair share" to upkeep the roads, emergency services, facilities, and budget they benefit from every day.
Additionally, creating a JEDD to cover all township property, would enable the township to impose the tax on both the Sears property and the old training center (for sale by the township for over $1M and located on East Miami River Road) with a continuing income tax. She believes expansion of JEDDs, like used in Green Township, could increase revenues without overburdening the residents of Colerain.
While the township approved increases to service fees for residents to raise revenues, it appears that some residents have the ingenuity to analyze financial circumstances and revenue-generating ideas that will not increase the cost of living in Colerain.
Comments / 8
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Matt Tietsort
04-15
JEDZ are no longer an option. JEDD (Joint Economic Development District) are for economic development on new construction. It could be possible for Colerain Township to create a JEDD for the new Wawas or the UDF. They could also maybe create one for the new development on Staverman farm as long as it's not considered residential. When Northgate Mall is redeveloped, that could also be a JEDD if it's not a mixed use development with residential. A JEDD taxes the business and employees whether they are Colerain Township residents or not. Even if Colerain Township could create a JEDD on current Township buildings, how much do you think a 2% income tax would raise?
karen rachford
04-14
Cincinnati Animal Care should be handling all the calls from the county prior to the police being called on a stray animal that's why they employ Wardens
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