In December, Liberty Township Trustees passed legislation to place the police levy renewal plus the added millage on the ballot to support the current contract with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and plan for future growth.
The increase will cost residents an additional $10.50 annually for a house valued at $100,000.
Based on the 2024 tax rates, the cost of the existing police levy is $49.80 for a $100,000 home. If approved, that will bring the total cost of the police levy to $60.30 per $100,000 home, according to officials.
For more than two decades, the township has contracted with BCSO for dedicated police coverage. Currently, 29 contracted positions operate out of the substation in the township administrative offices on Winners Circle Drive, according to township officials.
The township’s population is about 44,000. In 2023, the BCSO received 37,638 calls for service. As the community’s population has grown, calls for police services have increased. The four-year total for calls for service is 122,730 calls from 2020 to 2023.
“We are looking to basically stay as lean as we can, but also look for future expansion as Liberty continues to grow,” said Butler County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Anthony Dwyer. “Liberty is an extremely safe community. Typical crimes like burglaries and robberies are extremely low, But there are hot spots that create a person-on-person crime, outside of that, it is extremely safe.”
Dwyer and the trustees pointed to additional services the township receives through the sheriff’s office contract if a situation happens.
“They get the full force of our agency without any charge back,” Dwyer said. He referenced the SWAT team, drug unit and K-9 units.
Trustee President Todd Minniear said the board met multiple times to discuss options for police protection and the levy. This year the township also will negotiate a new a new contract with BCSO.
“My mindset is, I don’t take a dime from taxpayers that we don’t need. This is a need and puts us in a good place going forward. This increase will take us up about $500,000 a year,” Minniear said.
Since the last levy passed in 2019, Liberty Twp. has grown by about seven percent, Minniear said.
“Secondly, we have gone through one of the highest inflationary periods. The police costs are not immune,” he added.
Minniear said the township will continue to grow and officials tentatively have identified the need to add two or three more deputies over the next “eight years or so.”
“We wanted this levy to last. We don’t want to go back to people too soon for more money. I am expecting this will last us eight to 10 years,” he said.
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