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Finance committee recommends placing 2.0-mill EMS levy option on November ballot
Summary
The North Royalton Finance Committee voted unanimously to recommend that council place a 2.0-mill EMS levy (1.7 mill renewal plus 0.3 increase) on the November ballot; officials said the additional revenue would fund three additional EMS personnel and reduce costly overtime.
The North Royalton Finance Committee voted June 16 to recommend that City Council place a proposed 2.0-mill emergency medical services levy on the November ballot.
Finance Director Jenny Esarey told the committee that a 1.7-mill renewal would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $47 per year and yield approximately $1,864,339 for the EMS fund. The 2.0-mill option (a 0.3-mill increase) would cost roughly $57 per year for the same homeowner and raise about $2,271,883, an increase of $407,544. Esarey said council must decide which option to send to the ballot by Aug. 5.
Mayor Paul Marnecheck and Fire Chief Robert Chegan urged support for the higher option, saying it would allow the department to add three EMS personnel and reduce overtime and coverage gaps. Chief Chegan said the department has been running with minimum daily staffing and that when personnel are out for injury, illness or approved time off, the remaining staff are pushed into overtime. "This levy is to ensure that the Fire Department has the minimum to protect the residents in a city that is as big as North Royalton," Chegan said.
Committee members asked how staffing would change under the higher levy; Chief Chegan said three additional positions would allow more consistent coverage, reduce the frequency of overlapping calls and lower reliance on mutual aid from neighboring communities. Esarey and committee members noted the city's year-to-date income tax collections were about 50.4% through June and that the city is operating within the adopted budget through May.
The Finance Committee's recommendation was formalized in a motion to place Ordinance 26-106 (the 2.0-mill option) on the council agenda; the motion passed unanimously (Yeas: Chair Gary Petrusky, Vice Chair Mary Gorjanc, David Quolke). Council will need to act before the Aug. 5 deadline to put the measure on the November ballot.
If placed before voters, the higher levy would increase the EMS fund by the amount Esarey estimated; the committee did not set a final staffing plan or hiring timeline, which would be subject to subsequent council action and collective bargaining constraints.
