WATERVILLE, OH (WTOL) - It is time for something to be done about Waterville Township's police force, according to township trustees. A math error made years ago left the department without enough funding.
"If we want to continue the good service for the residents in the township, we're going to have to have more funds to operate," said Les Disher, a Waterville Township trustee.
Disher said about eight years ago, Waterville Township put a police levy on the ballot. It was approved, but a mistake from the Lucas County Auditor's Office left the department $30,000 to $50,000 short of what it needed a year.
Trustees coped at first by making cuts, but Disher said the costs have added up.
"As costs have increased in gas and labor and insurance, it's really put a burden on our police department," he said.
Trustees are laying out three options for the community. The first is to try for another levy. The township could also combine revenue and forces with another police department. Finally, it could choose to become a part-time force.
Some Waterville Township residents said it is not time to cut back.
"With the increased crime in Toledo, we're going to have to step up on our task force, but how are we going to do that if we don't have the appropriate funding for that?" asked Emily McKee, a Waterville Township resident.
Al Ousky, another resident, said: "You want to keep it safe. As everybody knows what you're reading in the paper, safety is getting to be more important every year that goes by."
Trustees will hold a meeting in March to get resident feedback.
"It's a decision that needs to be made by more than just three people that are the trustees in the township. We would like input from the folks that we're representing," Disher said.
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