Fairport Harbor Village voters who cast ballots in the Nov. 5 General Election will decide the outcome of levies that would provide more funding for the community’s police and fire departments. Both of the additional levies are five-year, 5.25-mill issues. If approved, each levy would generate $357,000 per year and cost $184 annually in residential property valuation, according to the Lake County Auditor’s Office. Village Police Chief David Koran and Fire Chief Robert Llloyd explained why passage of the additional levies is important to their respective departments. Police levy The village Police Department has reached a point where its finances “have fallen behind the times in terms of wages and rising equipment costs,” Koran said. Over the years, the police department has been referred to as the “training ground” for many officers who gain valuable experience and then leave to work for other departments with better pay and benefits, the chief noted. “We want to end that philosophy because, in this current environment, it’s no longer easy to replace personnel who are leaving,” Koran said. “We have a core group of police officers in this department who want to serve this community, but with the rising cost of everything and the attractiveness of higher pay elsewhere, it is a challenge.” Some of the additional revenue from the levy that is on the ballot would be used to increase pay for police officers. “Addressing the wage issue would help with officer retention and recruitment,” Koran said. The chief pointed out that police academies don’t have the attendance they once had, and there are now more officer vacancies across Ohio than newly qualified officers available to fill them. “I see this as a crisis period we are going through in law enforcement,” he said. If the levy passes, Koran said he would address the issue of police wages first, and then look to add at least another full-time officer to keep overtime costs down. “Having at least two officers on a shift will address the safety concerns and make the department more responsive in a timely fashion,” Koran said. Right now, most of the department’s shifts are covered by a single officer, which is an outdated model due to the current call volume and village population, Koran said. Revenue from the new levy also would be used to replace outdated police equipment, and “keep police vehicles running and in rotational replacement when they become nickel-and-diming and high-mileage,” Koran said. Currently, the police department receives $195,772 in annual revenue from a separate five-year renewal levy that was most recently approved by voters in 2020. Koran said revenue from the renewal levy “has pretty much been absorbed” into the department’s annual operating budget. “That levy is essential to keep operations going currently and will continue even if (the additional levy is approved on Nov. 5).” It’s not uncommon for government entities in Ohio to have more than one voted levy on their books for the same purpose — such as funding used to operate police or fire departments. A Fairport Harbor Village Fire Department engine and ambulance sit parked at the corner of Third and Eagle streets in the village. Fairport Harbor Village is seeking passage of additional police and fire levies in the Nov. 5 General Election. (Courtesy of Fairport Harbor Fire Department) Fire levy The village Fire Department would use revenue from the Nov. 5 levy to provide additional staffing and cover day-to-day expenses, such as maintaining vehicles and equipment, and fuel costs, Lloyd said. “Like everyone else, we are not immune to rising costs,” the chief said. Passage of the levy also would allow the fire department to hire three additional full-time firefighters/paramedics, and be able to retain the current full- and part-time staff. Lloyd noted that calls for service to the fire department have increased by nearly 20 percent over the last five years. “Also, with the reduction in hours at Coast Guard Station Fairport, we have experienced an increase in water rescue incidents on Lake Erie,” he said. If the fire levy on Nov. 5 passes and the department proceeds to hire three additional full-time firefighters/paramedics, it would make it possible for Lloyd to schedule to two full-time and one part-time member per shift. “Currently it is two part-time and one full-time openings per day,” Lloyd said. However, if a part-time firefighter doesn’t sign up to work one of those two 24-hour shifts, then the department’s minimum staffing drops to two. If no part-time firefighters are able to work on a given day, then a full-time firefighter must be called in to work overtime, so the department is staffed by two members. “Our current full-time employees have been averaging 800 hours of overtime per year,” Lloyd said. The department currently employs three full-time firefighters who share the responsibility of filling one daily 24-hour shift. However, if the levy passes and Lloyd is able to hire three additional full-time firefighters, he will have a larger pool of full-timers to work two 24-hour shifts each day. With two full-time firefighters scheduled for around-the-clock duty every day, Lloyd said he’s “pretty positive” that one part-time, 24-hour slot would get filled regularly. “What I want out of this is to always have three people on duty,” he said. Lloyd also said the fire department will continue its practice of having one paramedic on duty 24 hours a day. The fire department receives $125,495 in an annual revenue from a separate five-year renewal levy which was most recently approved by voters in 2020. Lloyd emphasized that revenue from the renewal levy can be used only for capital purchases such as vehicles, equipment and radios. The department will continue to seek passage of the renewal levy in the future, because of the ongoing need to update fire vehicles and equipment, the chief noted. Lloyd said the department always has strived to be good stewards of taxpayer money generated by the levy for capital purchases. The department will take that same judicious approach in using revenue from the additional levy that appears on the Nov. 5 ballot. “Fairport Harbor Fire Department prides itself on providing timely, effective fire and EMS to the community,” he said. “Unfortunately we have reached the breaking point of having to ask for additional funds to help staff the station, maintain our equipment and apparatus, and the ability to provide community risk reduction programs, such as car seat installation, free smoke detectors and residential lock boxes, and CPR and Stop the Bleed classes.” As of Oct. 15, there were 2,112 registered voters in Fairport Harbor Village, according to the Lake County Elections Board.