LAKE TWP.: After the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, the new Lake Township Police Department was up and running.
Thanks to voters who approved a 4.5-mill levy last fall, Uniontown police switched their name and expanded their coverage area. Instead of patrolling 9 square miles in the northwest portion of the community, as they had since 1966, police started responding to accidents and calls throughout the entire township, except for the village of Hartville.
“From everything I’ve heard, it’s going very well,” Trustee John Arnold said. “Several people have said how much they appreciate the presence of police when they really haven’t had any.”
But there’s a chance the new, expanded department will be short-lived.
Ballot language that appeared before voters was incorrect, sparking a controversy and accusations of foul play. The ballot noted that the continuing levy — designed to raise $2.59 million a year — would cost residents 45 cents in property tax for every $1,000 of home value. In reality, it will cost taxpayers $4.50.
A group of Lake Township voters has gone to court to invalidate the election result. The issue passed by 490 votes — not a wide margin given the more than 10,000 votes cast.
“It’s certainly our position that if people knew the true cost and it was reflected properly on the ballot, it wouldn’t have passed,” said attorney Eric Stecz, who represents the unhappy township residents.
The two sides will appear Monday before Stark County Common Pleas Judge John Haas for a hearing they hope will settle the issue in their favor. The judge can affirm the election result or declare it null and void.
Holding pattern
In the meantime, the township is in a holding pattern of sorts. Even though the patrol area has expanded to 32 square miles — that’s more accidents, more crime, more senior citizen checks and more vacation checks to handle — police haven’t added any full-time officers to deal with the extra work.
It wouldn’t be wise to hire officers — a minimum of 11 are planned — until the legal battle is settled, Police Chief Harold Britt said. He also has plans to add a dedicated school resource officer to visit the eight school buildings in the township.
He and others are painfully aware of the controversy and distrust by some residents.
The township recently obtained nearly $100,000 worth of surplus equipment from the federal government, including night-vision equipment, boots, backpacks and two used military Humvees.
The equipment was free. But the vehicles have been kept out of sight, parked in a garage behind the township hall, because township leaders are worried residents would think they are blowing levy money.
After being cleaned up, one of the vehicles will be used by the township Special Response Team. The other will serve as a community policing vehicle for special events and school visits.
A long debate
Officials debated a township police force for years. Voters rejected the idea in 2005 — the last time the issue was on a ballot.
While Uniontown and Hartville had police forces, the Stark County Sheriff’s Office oversaw the remainder of Lake Township. There were no deputies specifically assigned to Lake, however.
During the levy campaign, Sheriff Timothy Swanson offered to take over policing duties in the township for $1.85 million.
Trustees and others questioned the amount, noting that it didn’t include the cost of any equipment, such as cruisers.
They also worried about the county’s financial problems that have led to cutbacks at the sheriff’s office.
Britt and Arnold believe that budget woes for the sheriff helped the police levy pass this time. In some cases, residents in the sheriff’s territory were forced to complete their own reports online in nonemergency cases, and officials said it could take 30 to 45 minutes for a deputy to respond to a call.
“Everybody knew for years that if you wanted to rob somebody’s house, go to Lake Township,” said Britt, who became chief in August and lives in the township. “I mean, really, they have nice homes and nice stuff. And a lot of people worked. Everybody works during the day and nobody was going to be there.”
That’s not a slam against the sheriff’s office, Britt said, but a reality because of the county’s fiscal problems and the sheriff’s inability to dedicate more deputies to patrol.
With a Lake Township police force, the township is safer, the chief said.
“They are seeing a lot more patrols,” Britt said. “They should be seeing a cruiser in their neighborhood every day. When they have a call — someone breaking windows, destruction of property — we respond. We take the report. There’s no need to get online. Accidents, they don’t have to wait.”
Cindy Falkenberg, 44, a stay-at-home mom, is among the residents pleased with the levy outcome and wants to see the election result stand.
Both she and her husband, Bradd, voted in favor of expanding the district into their area of the township. Two neighbors had break-ins at their homes, and it took a long time for the sheriff to respond, she said.
“We were just concerned that we needed more police protection,” Cindy Falkenberg said. “We felt like it would be good for our community.”
She said that everyone she knows voted for the levy. She added that she didn’t feel misled by the ballot language, because she had done her homework researching the issue before Election Day.
Opposing view
Not everyone shares her view.
The majority of voters in the former Uniontown police district approved the levy and helped carry it to victory. Outside that district, a slight majority rejected it.
The reason why likely comes down to taxes. Property owners in the former police district will see their taxes go down, as the burden for paying for the department is spread across a wider tax base. Property owners outside the original district will see their taxes go up.
That’s a sore point for resident Jim Dickerson, 55, who lives in the area previously served by the sheriff. He voted against the levy.
“I don’t understand why those people have a chance to lower their taxes by a substantial amount and vote on whether mine go up,” he said. “To me, it’s just not fair.”
Dickerson, who also had concerns that the levy and sheriff’s offer should have been better publicized, would like to see the election result overturned.
“I’m fine with the way we were,” said Dickerson, who co-owns a concrete construction company. “I don’t need any more protection than the sheriff was providing. It’s a relatively safe area right now.”
Resident Jim Deeds, 53, who voted against the levy, feels the same way. Someone recently tossed a hammer through his garage window.
Lake Township police responded quickly and were professional, he said. But he questioned whether the response is worth the extra expense.
“Personally, I felt pretty secure and thought I had adequate police protection,” said Deeds, who works in corporate human resources. “I would like to go back to the status quo.”
Richard Kamerer, the Hartville fire chief and a township resident, has no such desire. He had advocated for years for the township to expand the Uniontown force or contract for extra protection with the sheriff’s office.
Hartville firefighters, who serve the northeast and southeast portions of the township, often encounter dangerous and sometimes violent situations when responding to calls. They had to wait too long for deputies to appear at scenes, Kamerer said.
“It’s been a worry for me as chief of the organization that my men don’t have the protection that they need,” he said.
“It’s a win-win for everybody in the community,” Kamerer said of the new police force, “and I think it’s something that’s been sorely needed for a long time.”
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.
