By Linda Collins

For the Herald

ENON — As voters in the Village of Enon head to the polls Nov. 3, they will be asked to continue their support by renewing the current 2.5-mill police levy that village officials say is critical to maintaining police services in Enon.

“The Enon Police Department is committed to serving village residents in the most economical and expeditious manner possible and will continue to take the necessary steps to reduce operating expenses,” Enon Police Chief Lewis Wilcox said. “However, as a department, we are also faced with rising cost.”

If approved, the five-year levy, which has a tax rate of 25 cents per $100 of assessed value, would continue to generate approximately $113,000 annually. This costs the owner of a $100,000 home $87.50 per year in property taxes, according to the Clark County Auditor’s Office.

The levy would take effect in the 2016 tax year, with collection beginning in 2017 and would generate funds to pay for police salaries and benefits, gasoline for cruisers, upgrades in technology, various supplies and other necessary equipment. Wilcox said levy funds would also help pay quarterly fees for the State of Ohio mandated Multi-Agency Radio Communications System, known as MARCS.

Since the hiring of Wilcox as police chief in October 2012, the Enon Police Department has experienced improvements, such as the remodeling of the department’s facilities, which Wilcox said has created a safer, functional work environment.

The department has undergone several upgrades in police technology as well, including the purchase of a new computer system for the offices and computers for village police cruisers that provide immediate access to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The police chief has also increased the number of full-time and part-time police officers, and the department is on its way to becoming a law enforcement agency accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA).

“Increased training and police accreditation will provide better and standardized delivery of police services to citizens,” Wilcox said.

Village officials have not discussed what cuts would be necessary if the levy fails.

“We hope that the village residents have been satisfied with the police services they have received for the last several years, and we would appreciate their support for the Enon Police Department renewal levy on Nov. 3,” Wilcox said. “It’s very important the levy exists because it will help fund police services in the village without raising taxes.”