Trustees will send five-year police levy to November ballot

by Melissa Martin

June 2 regular and June 9 special trustees meetings

Hinckley Township Trustees have agreed to place a five-year police levy in the hands of voters this fall in an attempt to stabilize the township’s police department, which has been operating in a deficit for approximately five years.

Trustees broached the matter as part of a broad discussion of the township’s safety services departments during their regular June 2 meeting. They then called a June 9 special meeting to deliberate the levy’s financial details and finalize its placement ahead of Medina County’s Aug. 5 filing deadline.

Instead of opting for a permanent levy that would raise local taxes indefinitely, trustees elected to pursue a five-year renewable levy. Should voters approve the levy in November, the township will have to return to the ballot every five years to extend the tax. This allows voters to decide whether the department is meeting the community’s expectations as far as the additional funding is concerned, according to township Fiscal Officer Richard Fay.

“We’re only going to ask for what we think we need to operate to the standard that the trustees demand of the police and what the voters demand of us,” Fay said.

Township officials indicated the measure stands to generate approximately $1.3 million annually and would cost homeowners about $70 per $100,000 in property valuation. As of press deadlines, the exact millage for the levy was undetermined by the county.

Police Chief Michael Schroll said the police levy is needed because the department has been operating in a deficit for the past five years, and the township population and service demands continue to grow. The proposed funding, he said, would eliminate the police department’s annual budget shortfalls and help rebuild its reserves, which are needed for operations and future capital expenditures.

According to Schroll, Hinckley’s population grew from 6,753 residents in 2000 to more than 8,700 residents in 2023, while police revenues remained largely unchanged. He also said his department, which currently boasts a roster of 12 full-time officers, faces increasing administrative responsibilities and is under growing pressure to meet new state and federal mandates, including new body-camera requirements, public records requests and additional transparency directives.

In addition, the township’s 26-year-old police station needs HVAC upgrades, new windows, improved insulation and water damage repairs, the police chief noted.

The proposal must be reviewed by the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office and certified by the county auditor before it comes back to the board of trustees for a final vote. Once that happens, the levy proposal will be sent to the Medina County Board of Elections for placement on the Nov. 3 ballot.