Champion Police Department explaining need for additional levy
Champion Township Trustees held an information session on Thursday to discuss the police department levy that will appear on the May ballot.
Voters will have the chance to decide on an additional $1.6 million levy for five years at the polls.
The additional levy would generate $413,000 a year. This would cost homeowners $56 a year for every $100,000 of appraised value according to a Champion Police Levy Information sheet.
The Township highlighted an increase in police calls over the last few years - the informational sheet providing statistics that showed the department received 6,335 calls in 2024.
According to the sheet, the actual tax revenue received by the police department in 2024 was $790,408 while operating expenses were $1,044,452.
Champion Township Police Chief Larry Skaggs said that there is a need for the additional money, stating, "There really aren't any police grants right now, and none pay for officers and benefits, fuel for cars or maintenance, they're always for special programs..."
The informational sheet states," Without an increase in revenue or significant decrease in expenditures, the police funds will be insufficient to sustain current operations for 2026."
The sheet also says that during 2024, expenditure totals were as follows:
- People costs - 82.5%
- Purchases services - 12%
- Supplies and Materials - 3.5%
Skaggs had also explained that the department has cut all non-essential items from the budget over time and there's no more cuts to be made.
Skaggs went on to stay that the next step would be cutting officers, something he hopes to avoid.
