2025 Pierce Township Police Levy
On the November 4, 2025 ballot, Pierce Township residents will vote on a 2.8 mills police operating levy
Property Tax Levy - Fast Facts:
Tax Year Impacted:
The new tax levy would take effect in calendar year 2026.
Cost to Homeowners:
$98 annually per $100k of total appraised value.
Percent Dedicated to Police Operations:
100%
Total Requested:
2.8 mills, $1,856,641 per year.
Pierce Township residents have approved five property tax levies for the Police Department, the most recent of which was passed in 2007 for 2.9 mills. That levy was originally projected to last 10 years. Thanks to careful stewardship of taxpayer funds, the Police Department has managed to stretch it to 18 years. However, due to inflation and rising costs, the department can no longer operate on the revenue from these older levies alone. Additional funding is now needed.
This levy will not be used to construct a new building.
If this levy does not pass, Pierce Township will be forced to reduce its police department; 6 officers and 1 civilian employee will be laid-off.
The proposed levy will fund personnel, operational expenses, and facility maintenance. Passage of this levy will maintain a fully-staffed and professional police force, keep response times low, and ensure that Pierce Township is an excellent place to live and do business.
Why Vote for the Levy?
Pierce Township currently has 18 full-time sworn officers, including 10 patrol officers, 4 patrol supervisors, 3 detectives, and 1 police chief. The department also employs 2 civilian support personnel. It is authorized to staff up to 20 full-time officers and 1 part-time officer. However, the department has deferred hiring additional personnel until the outcome of the levy is known.
Passage of the levy will ensure continued protection for the community, allow the hiring of two additional officers, and help maintain essential equipment.
At any given time, there are 2 to 4 patrol officers or supervisors on duty in Pierce Township, with at least one detective either working or on call. Response times remain low, and criminal offenses are investigated efficiently.
If the levy does not pass, Pierce Township will lose 6 police officers and 1 civilian employee.
What will it cost?
Property taxes are calculated in mills. One mill represents $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. In Ohio, the assessed value of your home is set at 35% of its total market value. You can determine your home’s assessed value by consulting the Clermont County Auditor’s website.
The Ohio Constitution states that property taxes cannot exceed 1% of a property’s total value unless voters approve additional taxes through a levy.
When voters approve a levy, they establish a fixed dollar amount that the levy can raise each year. As a result, growth in property values does not automatically increase the revenue generated by an existing levy.
The approximate daily cost of continued police services is $0.268 per $100,000 of assessed value.
FAQ’s
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The Pierce Township Police Department is a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year agency responsible for law enforcement services within the township’s 23-square-mile limits. In 2019, it assumed responsibility for parts of the former Village of Amelia south of SR 125. The department consists of 18 police officers and 2 non-sworn support personnel.
In 2024, the department had 26,106 public encounters, wrote 1,432 reports, issued 325 citations, and made 209 arrests. On average, this equates to 154 police activities every day, or one activity every 3 minutes.
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In addition to routine patrols, responding to calls for service, and conducting investigations, the Police Department offers several specialized services upon request:
Residential Vacation Checks
Directed Patrols
Security Camera Registration
Radar Sign Deployment & Speed Surveys
Alzheimer’s/At-Risk Resident Notifications
Nighttime Business Checks
Active Shooter Training for Schools and Churches
Food and Toy Drives for Families in Need
Wellness Checks
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Officers and staff volunteer their time to plan and participate in several community events throughout the Township—at no cost to taxpayers—including:
Golden Ticket Program
Shop with the Police
Active Shooter Training
Casting with Cops
National Night Out
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In the State of Ohio, property taxes are determined by the Department of Taxation. Each year, the department reviews selected counties and reassesses property values based on the previous three years of property sales. The state determines the tax rates, which are then provided to county auditors. Counties have very little control over the total tax rate imposed.
In fiscal year 2025, 88% of the Police Department’s funding will come from property taxes. Under Ohio law, revenue raised from specific levy taxes cannot be used for other purposes. For example, tax revenue raised for the Fire Department cannot be spent on the Police Department, and vice versa.
The Police Department’s revenue is managed through a restricted fund. A restricted fund is a budgetary account that can only be used for a specific purpose, such as funding a Police Department. Because of this, money deposited into the restricted fund cannot be spent on anything other than its designated purpose; for example, revenue generated from a Fire levy cannot be transferred to the Police Department’s account.
Increases in property taxes have mostly affected governmental agencies above the county level. In general, townships receive less than 20% of the property taxes levied on their residents.
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If the levy fails, the residents of Pierce Township will see immediate adverse affects. Layoffs will result in longer response times to calls for service. Follow-up investigations will also be hindered, as the Investigative Unit would be reduced from three detectives to just one.
In addition to personnel reductions, operational expenses would face significant cuts. For example, funding for officer training would be reduced. Training directly impacts both public and officer safety; it teaches safe tactics for handling dangerous situations, reduces unnecessary use of force, and lowers the risk of injuries to officers and civilians. De-escalation and communication skills training help officers calm tense situations without force, assist people in crisis, and improve interactions with the community.
Other critical operating expenses, such as updating and maintaining the fleet, replacing outdated equipment, and keeping pace with advances in police technology would also suffer budget cuts.
If the levy is not passed, the Police Department would become less effective in every way.
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In 2007, voters approved a 2.9 mill levy that was projected to last 10 years. Due to conservative budgeting and deferred spending, it has lasted for 18 years. The Police Department has nearly exhausted the funds carried over from year to year and will begin unsustainable spending in early 2026. November 2025 is the last opportunity for voters to avert layoffs of police personnel.
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No new commercial or industrial growth, property development, or commodities windfall in the Township would have a substantial effect on Police Department funding. The Ohio Constitution is absolute regarding the nature of municipal revenue, and townships are almost entirely dependent on property taxes. Pierce Township, like all Ohio townships, is limited in its taxing ability by the Ohio Constitution.
Townships are not permitted to collect taxes like cities or villages. The State of Ohio provides limited funding for municipal governments through the Local Government Fund (LGF). In FY 2022, about 5% of the LGF was distributed among all townships in Ohio.
In certain situations, special tax districts, such as Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDDs), can be created to allow townships to levy income taxes. However, establishing a JEDD is a complex legal process requiring negotiations with other municipalities, and we are unaware of any municipality that has ever attempted to use a JEDD specifically to fund a public safety department. In most cases, these special districts serve as a supplement to existing property tax revenue rather than a replacement.
Township governments in Ohio are limited by design in how they generate revenue and remain almost entirely dependent on property taxes.
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In general, township residents are subject to two types of property taxes: inside millage and outside millage.
Inside millage is a non-voted tax, legally capped at 1% of a property’s actual value. This is colloquially known as the “10 mill limit” because most areas automatically levy the full 10 mills. Many overlapping levels of government share that 1%, including school districts, county governments, park districts, libraries, and others.
Recent property tax increases stemmed from the state’s reassessment of home values, which raised the dollar amount collected under the 10 mill limit. Pierce Township does not generate enough revenue from the ten mill limit to fund the Police Department, let alone all the other services it provides.
Outside millage is tax revenue generated from levies approved by voters. In Pierce Township, there are voter-approved levies for police, fire, waste services, and other needs. Broadly speaking, the Ohio Constitution allows inside millage to be used in certain circumstances to pay for outside millage obligations—but not vice versa. The Police Department has been funded through outside millage since 1976. Statewide, almost no townships can fund themselves solely through inside millage. The 1% tax that property owners pay is split among too many overlapping jurisdictions to adequately support significant local services.
Generally, townships receive less than 20% of the inside millage levied on their residents, which is why voted levies are essential to fund local services.
All of our community events are produced at no cost to the public.
Supporting this levy is an investment in your own backyard. A dedicated, professional, full-time police force helps create a community where families and businesses can thrive. There is no substitute for safety.
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For the past three years, Detective Justin Schultz has served with distinction in the Clermont County Narcotics Unit (CCNU), where his investigative expertise has been instrumental in combating drug trafficking. In 2024, Detective Schultz was involved in over 30 residential search warrants and investigative traffic stops with the CCNU, serving as the lead investigator in many of these cases. The confiscated contraband from these investigations included 313 pounds of marijuana, 26 pounds of hash, 326 units of LSD, 894 grams of cocaine, 149 grams of methamphetamine, and 33 firearms. The street value of the seized contraband exceeded $1,000,000, a significant blow to illegal drug operations in our area.
Although many of these aforementioned seizures of contraband occurred in other parts of Clermont County, drug dealers are transient; they don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries.
Detective Erica Haught led an investigation into a disturbing case in the township, where a mother suspected her husband of sexually abusing her daughter. Through a thorough and compassionate investigation, Detective Haught uncovered that the abuse had taken place over several years.
Thanks to her skillful interrogation of the stepfather and meticulous case preparation, an indictment was secured. The stepfather was ultimately convicted on 13 counts, including rape, gross sexual imposition, and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 49 years to life in prison.
In the early morning hours of June 12, 2024, a residential neighborhood in Pierce Township was targeted as part of a coordinated effort to steal cars, guns, cash, and other items of personal property. Six males were captured on various home security systems working together and committing the crimes. Detective Kevin Barkley was assigned the case. Through tireless police work, Detective Barkley was able to identify all six of the perpetrators involved in the Pierce Township crimes. His work and dedication not only led him to solve the case for his victims, but also led him to uncover that the crimes in the Pierce Township neighborhood were not just a one-time event.
Detective Barkley discovered that the six defendants, along with various others, were involved in a gang that would participate in what they called "smacking"- coordinated theft attacks where the defendants and their friends would work together to steal whatever they could in the middle of the night from neighborhoods all around Cincinnati and the surrounding areas. By the time the criminals arrived and "smacked" the Pierce Township neighborhood, their theft ring had been operating for over a year, and evidence suggested that they were committing theft offenses on a regular basis - at least weekly and sometimes multiple nights a week. Throughout all of the time their gang was operating, no police department was able to identify and apprehend the criminals and punish them for their crimes. Detective Barkley's work not only solved the Pierce Township crimes, but also gave many other local jurisdictions suspects and leads so that they could solve the offenses that had been committed in their jurisdictions. Detective Barkley single-handedly took down an entire criminal enterprise through his relentless pursuit of justice.
Cases like this highlight the critical role of a fully staffed Investigative Unit. Without the levy, the Pierce Township Police Department will be forced to reduce the unit from three detectives to just one. Let's ensure our Investigative Unit remains fully staffed to protect our community and bring justice to those who violate the law.
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The Pierce Township Police Department has 11 patrol vehicles. It is important to rotate our patrol vehicles versus driving them continuously for several reasons. Rotating vehicles:
Prevents excessive wear and tear: Continuous use leads to faster degradation of engine components, tires, brakes, and suspension.
Allows for scheduled maintenance: Rotating vehicles ensures that some units can undergo routine servicing (oil changes, brake inspections, etc.) without disrupting fleet availability.
Extends vehicle lifespan: Balanced usage across the fleet helps prevent early retirement of overused vehicles.
Ensures availability of backup units: If a vehicle breaks down or is involved in an incident, rotated vehicles are available as reliable backups.
As you can see, five (5) of our 11 patrol cars have mileage over 100,000 miles. High-mileage vehicles are more likely to break down, require expensive repairs, and be out of service—costing taxpayers more in the long run. More importantly, an unreliable vehicle can delay emergency response and put both officers and the public at risk. By replacing one vehicle per year, we’re not spending recklessly—we’re planning ahead. This gradual, predictable replacement schedule:
Spreads out costs over time rather than creating sudden budget spikes.
Reduces repair and maintenance expenses by retiring the most costly vehicles.
Ensures reliable emergency response, even during extreme weather or high call volume.
Maintains a professional and capable appearance for our police force, which reinforces trust and community pride.
This isn't just about cars—it's about planning responsibly, managing taxpayer dollars wisely, and ensuring the safety and efficiency of your police department. That’s why replacing one police car each year isn’t just reasonable—it’s essential. However, due to budget cuts, the police department is unable to purchase a patrol vehicle in 2025.
We are seeking financial contributions to help offset the costs of advertising and other promotional materials. If you would like to contribute to the campaign, checks can be made payable to:
Citizens for Pierce Township Safety Services
c/o Cathy Jorgensen, Treasurer
743 Stonehill Run
Cincinnati, OH 45245