Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on local issues and candidates appearing before voters on the Nov. 8 ballot.
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Village officials always believed that the North Lewisburg Police Department might eventually need to provide full-time coverage after being established as a part-time agency.
In reality, it took just two years for the department, formed in 2020, to prepare for the move.
Voters in the village are being asked to approve a .75% income tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.
According to North Lewisburg Police Chief Scott Bodey, the move is necessary due to increased call volume. He said his agency had 997 calls for service within the last year.
“With several emergencies and felonious crimes happening during our off hours, we feel the village would greatly benefit from an officer being readily available in town (at all hours),” Bodey said.
The department currently has local officers on the streets 80 hours per week, with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Department available to respond to calls during the remaining time. The hours of patrol vary and are scheduled randomly.
To staff the department full-time, the agency will have to provide staffing 24-hours per day, seven days a week, for a total of 168 hours.
The chief said one of two staffing scenarios would allow the department to cover the hours. The department could opt for two full-time officers and seven or eight part-time officers or the department could use three full-time and five or six part-time officers.
Bodey said the village estimates it would need to generate an additional $236,848 annually to fund a fully staffed department, which would be roughly equivalent to a .75% income tax increase.
He said this expense would cover all costs associated with the police department from payroll, vehicle maintenance, supplies, operations, licensing and contracts.
The Village of North Lewisburg has agreed to cover any additional expenses out of its general fund, he said.
The chief also noted that residents on Social Security or retirement income would be exempt from the increase.
Village council began discussing the idea in April and former mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth noted that residents had inquired about the move.
“So many of our residents said ‘I wish you had full-time coverage,’” Hollingsworth said.