Painesville Police Levy Renewal Fact Sheet
Painesville City Council has proposed a renewal 2.5 mill, five year police levy on the November 2023 ballot for the Painesville Police Department. This is a renewal of the 2019 police levy, meaning there are no new taxes proposed. * The following information is for educational purposes only*
What is the police levy for?
In 2023, the Painesville Police force has 44 badges on staff. This levy is an existing levy that will maintain the number of existing officers. The proposed levy also includes:
- Expand and maintain intersection security camera program by adding additional cameras to critical entrance and exit ways. This would also include the addition of more intersections and maintenance of the current system. These are security cameras, not traffic or speeding cameras. They are not used to write citations or generate revenue, but to improve safety for city residents.
- Address current wage issues. With current rates below average compared to surrounding local law enforcement agencies, the results is decreased recruitment and unstable retention of high quality officers. The levy seeks to continue to keep the department competitive.
- Address outdated vehicles, equipment and building updates including replacing road patrol vehicles as they become outdated, upgrading departmental drug/narcotics equipment and making improvements at the police station.
- Enhance best practices training programs and support officer health initiatives, including training simulations so officers are well equipped to address community needs.
What would a property owner pay?
The 2.5 mill levy over five years will generate $626,000 annually to be used for the police department. This calculates to $73.00 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value of a property. For the exact cost of the levy on your property, go to www.lake.iviewauditor.com
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Proposed Levy Cost for Property Owners 2.5 mill over 5 years | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Value | Yearly Cost | Monthly Cost | Daily Cost |
| $100,000 | $73.00 | $6.08 | $0.20 |
| $150,000 | $109.00 | $9.08 | $0.30 |
| $200,000 | $145.00 | $12.08 | $0.40 |
What would happen if the levy fails?
Police department operations will continue, however, the level of service, including the number of officers and quality of equipment, will decrease. The current levy alleviates spending from the City’s general fund which goes to other services like road repairs, parks and recreation, fire services, etc.
What are the crime statistics in Painesville?
Since the implementation of the 2019 Police Levy, the increase in officers and addition of crime cameras has reduced violent crime by 12% from 2020 to 2022.