Cortland police levy fails

CORTLAND, Ohio (WKBN) — Voters in Cortland voted down a levy to benefit the police department.

According to unofficial returns, just over 59 percent of voters said "no" on an additional 2.5-mill levy for the city's police department. It would have generated $524,000 a year for the department — money that would help offset the department's rising operational costs plus hire two more full-time officers.

Speaking to WKBN in August, Cortland Police Chief David Morris said the levy was critically important. The current budget supports nine full-time officers with eight part-time officers filling open shifts. But Cortland is short on part-time officers, leaving full-time officers to fill the gaps and work overtime.

"After COVID, and, you know, the law enforcement recruitment crisis, it's just, part-time is not available to us," Morris said at the time.