BUCYRUS—As the city faces a looming final crisis, members of the Bucyrus City Council Finance Committee met Monday evening to discuss solutions, including a reduction or elimination of the tax credit given to out-of-town workers.
First to address the committee was Bucyrus Police Chief Neil Assenheimer. Chief Assenheimer told council:
“The Bucyrus citizens and this community has been wonderful in the past week. The respect we have seen has been humbling, and it continues to be a privilege to serve this community. It’s a great place to be a police officer.“
The officer-involved shooting that occurred on a holiday (Veterans Day) had only two officers and one dispatcher on duty. All others called to the scene were on holiday overtime pay. This is a common problem as the department has lost six officers, one to retirement and five who left the department to join other departments that pay significantly higher wages.
Assenheimer told council that the department is in a crisis. Wages offered in Bucyrus are drastically lower than in other departments. Examples offered were starting salaries ranging from $32-$40 per hour, with officers in the Worthington Police Department starting out at six-figure salaries. “Other agencies who are understaffed are waiting with open arms to accept our experienced and trained officers to come to their departments,” Assenheimer said.
Assenheimer told council that he has stressed officers currently working 12-hour days which costs in overtime pay.
“The ability of the Bucyrus police department to continue to provide police service all day every day is directly related to the amount of funding that the city is able to provide for assistance,“ Assenheimer said.
The force now employs just 13 officers, which threatens public safety.
“An income tax adjustment is not an easy decision to make, but something’s gotta give. We are not going to be able to keep the people we’ve got and provide a level of service to our citizens,” Assenheimer said.
Finance Committee Chairman Dan Wirebaugh said he understood that the issue needed to be addressed, but he believes there’s more than one solution to the problem. Wirebaugh read a letter from Bucyrus resident Bill Kennedy opposing any reduction in tax credits. Kennedy cited instances where he believed overtime pay for service workers was wasteful. “Cut out what you want to get what you need,” Kennedy wrote.
“It’s not exactly as he (Kennedy) says and it’s not exactly as the chief says either,” Wirebaugh said.
Assenheimer reminded council that a decade between 2010 and 2020 has been lost because wage issues weren’t addressed: “We can’t continue this way,” Assenheimer said.
Discussions included adding a levy to the ballot and possibly suspending part or all of the tax credit in the meantime.
Councilman Mark Mackeever likened it to a bandaid on a hemorrhage. He pointed out that a 1/2% reduction wouldn’t even provide enough to pay for one new officer.
Councilman Kevin Myers suggested a levy be placed on the ballot. Retiring Auditor Joyce Schiefer said action needs to be taken immediately before the end of December, noting that funds from any levy passed wouldn’t go into effect till 2024. “ What makes you think a levy would even pass?” Schiefer asked Myers.
Myers suggested a grassroots campaign be assembled. He likened it to the success of the recent anti-wind campaign. He said that if citizens were informed, they would understand the need for increased revenue. He indicated that if the approximately 1700 out-of-town workers affected by the loss of their credit got out and lobbied and then voted themselves, the levy would pass.
Council members Brenton Potter and Aaron Sharrock both support addressing annexation revisions to increase revenue. However, those measures would not provide the relief needed immediately.
At the end of a spirited discussion, Wirebaugh said that instead of being “ laser-focused” on a tax credit reduction as a revenue source, the issue needs to be discussed at a full council meeting.
Legislation is being drafted to call a special council meeting for a discussion on annexation, taxation, and the budget is being drafted by Interim Law Director Brian Gernert.
The discussion will take place at the November 29th city council meeting.