The city says the additional funds would go in part to police and fire operations and equipment, and it noted the increasing number of calls Urbana has received.
Urbana City Administrator Kerry Brugger said the current four-tenths goes to police and fire. If those departments need more resources, they comes from the city’s general fund, which takes away from other entities like zoning and parks that might need it.
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“We’re trying to be responsive to the requests that we have,” he said. “(The people) expect when they make phone calls to police and fire support, they’re getting it.”
There has been about a 10 percent increase in police calls for service and about 1.5 times the offense reports in the city since 2010, officials said. Fire and emergency personnel calls increased 17 percent from 2011.
Data provided by the City of Urbana say that safety services account for approximately 53 percent of the annual budget. The funds from the levy would be divided among the fire and police departments based on need.
Urbana’s tax rate was a flat 1 percent until 1991 when voters passed an an additional four-tenths of a percent. The current rate stands at 1.4 percent on earned income, which includes wages, salaries or commissions earned in the city of Urbana.
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The City says the extra money will also fund several safety service projects including police body cameras, a replacement fire engine and a secured impound storage lot.
“It gives us a little cushion in the general fund to work on road repairs and things like that — that we don’t have money for now,” he said.
Brugger said if the levy doesn’t pass, the city will have to make do with the resources it already has. But he also said he wants voters to know the money is going where it counts.
“We don’t have any grand scheme to start building things we don’t need,” he said. “We’re just trying to bring things back to a different level.”
If approved, the proposed increase would go into effect on July 1. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call the Mayor of Urbana, any City Council member, the police or fire chiefs, or the Directors of Administration or Finance. A FAQ sheet is also available online at urbanaohio.com.
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