Miami Township, Montgomery County, Ohio

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                              CONTACT:             Tracy Williams

                                                                                                                          937-433-9969

Miami Township Voters Approve Police Levy

Miami Township, Ohio – Miami Township voters approved today a 5.25 mill property tax police levy.

Township officials voiced the importance in passing the levy saying it was necessary to maintain current police services.

“This levy will help fill gaps in our funding and keep our officers on the streets,” Miami Township Chief of Police Chris Krug said. “The safety of our residents and businesses are important to our department, and we are pleased we can continue offering the same level of service to the township.”

Deborah Preston, president of the Miami Township Trustees, said the levy will make the community a better place.

“Maintaining our police services is important in keeping our community a great place to live and do business,” Preston said. “Our officers are committed to doing their job and today voters placed their confidence in them to do just that.”

A similar levy failed in 2012 requiring the department to utilize reserve funds in order to maintain current staffing levels. Krug said those funds would be nearly depleted by the end of 2013.

“We were faced with the reality of less revenue, a failed levy last year and reserve funds that were running out,” Krug said. “We were looking at a budget that would have forced us to lay off half of our officers and support staff.

“This levy will ensure we are properly staffed and equipped to do our job, and we would like to thank the voters for their endorsement of the job we are doing.”

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The men and women of the Miami Township Police Department are proud to serve you with a high level of professionalism and integrity. Our police department’s focus is to protect our residents and businesses. It is not an easy job, but it is necessary to keep Miami Township a great place to live and do business. These men and women are committed to this mission.

On May 7, residents will vote on Issue 8, a levy that will allow the Miami Township Police Department to operate at the current level of service we currently provide to the community. Passage of this levy is critical in keeping our officers on the streets.

About 72 percent of the police department’s budget is for personnel with the other 28 percent dedicated to fixed costs that cannot be reduced. Without this levy, personnel cuts will result in a loss of half of our police officers and support staff. Losing these personnel will have a dramatic impact on our community. It will decrease police visibility, delay emergency response, and eliminate other important services we directly provide throughout the township.

It is important for our residents to understand why this levy is needed in order to continue the great work of our department. Years of property value declines, the elimination of the personal property tax, and general inflation have led to a loss in funding. Operating costs continue to increase while these factors result in fewer dollars. The levy will allow our department to recoup these losses and prepare for future funding needs.

The Miami Township Police Department has seen outstanding accomplishments over the past few years. We are proud to have been recognized for many of our community programs. In fact, we have received national recognition for 11 straight years of our “National Night Out Against Crime” events and a “Top Ten in the Country Recognition” in 2012, partnered with the Dayton Mall to create and implement the nationally recognized “Must Be 16” policy, and received the South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce “Courage in Business Award.” Our department also reduced felony crimes by 10 percent in the past year and is moving toward accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. These successes show how important our role is in Miami Township.

Last fall, voters rejected a similar levy resulting in a loss of half of the department’s operating budget. Utilizing reserve funds built over the years with proper fiscal management, the department was able to maintain current staffing levels despite the loss in funding. Unfortunately those reserve funds will be nearly exhausted by the end of 2013.

In this election, we have a chance to ensure the financial stability of our department and the continuation of quality service.  Our department has proudly served Miami Township since 1956, and we look forward to continuing to provide a high quality of service to the community.

Waste Management will continue to collect trash, recycling, yard waste and large items on Wednesdays.

Beginning in 2014, Waste Management will provide residents with either a 35-gallon or 96-gallon recyclables container at no additional cost.  Also in 2014, recyclables will be collected every other week.  For the remainder of 2013, the 18-gallon recycling bins now being used will be collected weekly. Residents may continue to rent trash carts for $3 per month, or use their own containers.

In May, residents will receive additional service information directly from Waste Management. Questions regarding new service should be directed to the Waste Management customer service center at 1-866-797-9018. Residents choosing to decline service must call the Waste Management customer service center by May 17, 2013 to avoid receiving a bill for June service.

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