Police Levy

Beavercreek residents will vote on a 1.8 mills police levy on the May 2023 ballot. Funds generated by the levy will be used to maintain and increase the police department’s service levels, including the hiring of 5 additional police officers, as well as purchasing and maintaining needed equipment. The requested levy amount does not include funding to build a new facility for the police department.

If approved, the levy would raise property taxes beginning in 2024 by $63 per $100,000 of appraised property value. 

Click the links to watch Beavercreek City Council and staff discuss the police levy during council meetings on January 9 (beginning at 50:35) and January 23 (beginning at 13:00). 

What will the police levy provide?

  • Hire 5 additional police officers 
  • Maintain and increase the Beavercreek Police Department’s service levels
  • Purchase and maintain needed equipment 

What will it cost?

  • A 1.8-mills levy would raise property taxes beginning in 2024 by $63 per $100,000 of appraised property value

Why 5 additional police officers?

  • Current authorized staffing levels includes 50 police officers to protect and serve a city of nearly 47,000 residents 
  • Depending on shift, there are typically 4 to 6 officers on duty at a time 
    • One incident, such as a car crash, can require the response of 2 or more officers
  • FBI data suggests the police department should have 68 police officers
  • Increasing calls for service and traffic activity associated with two major shopping areas, I-675 and U.S. 35, expanding business and residential sectors, and proximity to Wright State University and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio’s largest single-site employer) 
  • Beavercreek has one of the lowest officer-to-resident ratios when compared to many surrounding police departments 

When was the last time the city requested new funding for police? 

  • The last time voters approved additional funding for the Beavercreek Police Department was in 2014 
  • Economic conditions affect a levy’s cycle primarily due to inflationary factors, for police this includes salaries, equipment, fuel, etc. 
  • At the beginning of a levy cycle, levy revenues exceed expenditures until inflationary factors cause expenses to outpace funds generated by the levy
  • Once expenses exceed a levy’s revenue, the city uses funds that accumulated at the beginning of the levy cycle to balance the budget 
  • Due to the levy cycle effect, the city’s police levy fund shows expenditures are outpacing revenue, projections show this trend will continue without additional funding

Why another police levy?

  • Approximately $8.98 million or 75% of the police department’s budget is used for personnel costs
  • The Beavercreek Police Department is primarily funded by property tax levies, which represents approximately 92% of the department’s funding 
  • City voted levies are fixed, meaning the amount the city receives from voted levies does not change based on the county auditor’s reappraisal or home value
  • Historically, property tax revenue grows on an average of 2% or less per year, but inflationary factors on expenses are projected to well exceed 2%

For additional questions regarding this levy, please email levy@beavercreekohio.gov