Cleves council to seek voter approval of safety levy to cover police, fire contracts

Village of Cleves council members told residents at a public meeting that they intend to place a safety levy on the ballot this summer to fund police and fire contracts, presenting three millage options and a timeline that must meet county filing deadlines.

The council framed the levy as a means to preserve basic public‑safety services rather than add new spending. "This levy is not about adding new expenses," the mayor said, and council members argued a levy is necessary to avoid drawing additional millions from the general fund or risking the village becoming insolvent.

Why it matters: Council members and staff told residents the general fund is projected to run short by 2029 without additional revenue. Officials said police and fire contracts are the primary driver of increasing costs — the village paid about $635,000 for safety services in 2025 and projects that figure could rise toward $955,000 by 2030 — and that supplementing those contracts from the general fund is unsustainable.

At the meeting the village presented three certified revenue estimates from the Hamilton County auditor: a 3.5‑mill safety levy would generate about $291,000 a year, 4.0 mills about $333,000, and 4.5 mills about $375,000. Council members discussed the tradeoffs and signaled support for the higher option to reduce the amount the general fund would need to supplement safety services in future years.

Officials described three main public‑safety changes since 2021: restoration of a minimal village police authority…