ABERDEEN, Ohio — After a second attempt at passing a police levy in Aberdeen failed, Police Chief David Benjamin said he is planning to hold meetings and offer other venues for the public to learn more about the importance of the levy.

On Tuesday, 52 percent of residents in Aberdeen voted against the bill with 47 percent of residents voting in favor of it, making the total 259 against and 231 for it.

The levy has been a hot button topic among residents of the village, with the results looking very similar to the levy’s iteration on the May 8 ballot earlier this year, where Aberdeen voters ultimately voted 179-129 against the levy; 58 percent of voters voted against, and 42 percent of voters voted for.

This current iteration of the levy is not a carbon copy of its predecessor, however, as the amount of the ordinance has reduced the levy to 3 mills per year for a continuing period. A 3 mill levy on a market value home of a $100,000 would be $91.86 annually or $45.93 every six months.

According to Benjamin, if the levy had been voted in by Aberdeen residents, an expected $55,000-$60,000 would have been generated to fund exclusively the police department.

Benjamin said without the levy passing, the city is facing issues with lack of manpower and equipment that is in need of upgrades.

“We need manpower in the city,” he said. “We have a lack of manpower and we have equipment that needs to be replaced. I don’t know of a lot of other options that are available to us.”

Benjamin said he still has to talk to the city council, but he is hoping to hold some town meetings to discuss the levy and see it put on the ballot again.

“I’d like to have some meetings to talk to the public about why we need the levy,” he said. “If anyone has recommendations, suggestions or questions, they can reach out to us.”

Benjamin said he has worked to add community events in the area and will continue to do so.

“We’re going to continue to serve the community to the best of our ability,” he said. “I want us to continue to grow roots here.”

Christy Howell-Hoots

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