HAMILTON — To help meet Hamilton's increasing medical-emergency and law-enforcement needs, City Council will place a 1-mill police levy and a 1-mill fire levy on the Nov. 5 ballot.

        The fire levy would enable the city to create a third paramedic unit. Hamilton is now served by paramedic units on the east side and the west side.

        The police levy would allow the city to hire at least five more police officers and would finance other operating costs.

        Council passed a motion Wednesday asking the county auditor to certify the value of the city's property and the amount of money each levy would generate.

        At its Aug. 14 meeting, council is to approve a motion placing the levy on the November ballot.

        “Calls for police service have gone up dramatically in recent years,” Councilman Richard Holzberger said.

        “Sometimes, on serious calls, they can't send a back-up.”

        Each levy would generate $819,000 a year and would make the owner of a $100,000 home pay $15.31 a year more in property taxes.

        Hamilton has been rocked by the loss of about 3,000 jobs in the past three years and is facing a projected deficit of $185,000 next year.

        Mayor Donald Ryan said the city has done its best to cut expenses.

        “We're hoping these levies sustain both operations for the next four to five years,” he said. “We hope that, by then, our economy would have improved in Hamilton so that we are back to the level of employment we have enjoyed in the past.”

        Mr. Holzberger said he was concerned about how the two levies would fare with other tax issues on the ballot.

        The Butler County Regional Transit Authority will have a quarter-percent sales-tax increase on the ballot.

        That tax issue was defeated twice last year, but had a lot of support from Hamilton voters.

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