6/14/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Norton voters most likely will have another chance to vote on a fire and emergency medical services (EMS) levy this November.

During the June 11 Norton City Council meeting, members gave a second reading to an ordinance that would place a four-year, 4.6-mill levy on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot for the purpose of funding the fire department and its vehicles, equipment and supplies.

According to Council Clerk Karla Richards, the levy is the same levy that voters defeated in the March Primary Election by 52 percent. Voters also defeated two levies for emergency services in the November 2011 General Election.

Richards said the levy would cost residents the same amount as with the March levy — about $141 a year for the owner of property worth $100,000.

When the levies didn’t pass in November, Norton City Council voted to reduce the manned hours at the city’s fire station effective Jan. 1 and lay off nine firefighters. The cuts meant the station would have no personnel for fire and EMS calls from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, Norton firefighters continued to cover the station until the March election. When the March levy was defeated, the firefighters ceased the evening coverage, according to city officials.

Council is expected to discuss the levy during a future Council meeting. Council must approve ballot placement of the levy by Aug. 8, the Summit County Board of Elections’ deadline for issues to be placed on the November ballot.

City Council next will meet June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Safety Administration Building, 4060 Columbia Woods Drive.

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