With 100 percent of precincts reporting voters passed the levy 62 percent to 38 percent, according to final unofficial results from the Butler County Board of Elections.
Ross Twp. Administrator Bob Bass said officials are very pleased they will be able to continue protecting and serving the residents directly. Officials said earlier the Butler County sheriff’s office would have likely had to take over had the levy failed.
“We are thrilled,” Bass said. “We’re very pleased with the outcome and looking forward to providing the residents of Ross with the services they deserve.”
Voter turnout was almost 47 percent in Butler County late this afternoon and in the 70 percent range in some areas — something that “thrilled” Trustee Tom Willsey early on.
“I’m not surprised,” he told the Journal-News. “I’m really kind of heartened by it because I like the fact the people are getting involved in their government. When everybody looks at government, they look at the officials as being government — no. We’re not the government, they’re the government. They have to tell us… and then we have to learn to listen.”
The majority of Ross Twp. trustees voted to ask taxpayers for more money to hire three full-time police officers and bring a detective on full-time.
The levy request will bring in a total $782,882. The levy request is for a replacement of the existing levy — to capture current property values — and an additional 1-mill.
RELATED: Ross Twp. officials: no levy, no police department
The owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $45 more if the levy passes, according to the Butler County Auditor’s Office. The average price of homes in the township is $194,000 and the additional tax would be about $88 a year for the average homeowner, according to the auditor’s office.
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