BLANCHESTER — Village of Blanchester residents will see a proposed new 1% earned income tax levy for the police department on the March 19 primary election ballot.
This six-year levy for the purpose of funding police would affect “those that live and work in Blanchester, come to Blanchester to work and those residents that leave Blanchester to work only where there is no tax,” according to a news release from the Blanchester Police Department.
“This levy is essential for the police department to be able to maintain current operations,” said BPD Chief Robert Houghton in the release.
The Village of Blanchester previously tried to enact the levy as a village ordinance in May, but due to objections from locals — in particular, due to them not having the proper council votes needed — village officials decided in December to put it on the March ballot.
Houghton went on to discuss the issues the department has been facing with being able to provide proper staffing and what would happen if the levy should fail.
“Our staffing level is for eight officers providing 24/7 coverage for the citizens of Blanchester,” he stated. “However should the levy fail, 40% of our budget (salaries and benefits) will be cut.”
According to Houghton, this would result in the lowest budget in 25 years and make the department a “part-time department unable to continue 24/7 operations.”
If the levy fails, Houghton, citing a 2023 ordinance, said 40% of the police department’s budget will be reallocated no later than the end of the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year. This would result in officers being laid off in the first financial quarter of 2025 along with service blackouts.
“Workers that commute to a municipality that already has a tax in place of 1% or more will not pay it,” Houghton said in the release.
He added individuals who receive social security benefits, railroad retirement benefits, unemployment compensation, and pensions will not be affected by the tax.
According to Houghton, if the levy should fail, the failure will set the police department back years and “jeopardize” the safety of the community.
If passed, the levy will go into effect on July 1, 2024.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
