BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport village leaders are asking for residents’ support of a police levy and two operating levies that will be listed on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The village held a public meeting Wednesday evening in hopes of generating support and answering questions regarding the three levies voters will consider. The meeting was also live streamed via the police department’s social media page.

Bridgeport Police Lt. Darby Copeland opened the meeting by discussing the importance of the police levy and its assistance in helping to keep the department properly funded.

“The police levy is a new levy. Surprisingly enough, there has never been a levy for the police department in Bridgeport, so we’re asking the voters to approve a levy to fund the police department,” he said.

There is currently no police levy in place in the village and, due to the village’s challenging financial state, the department has limited resources. The village’s police department is the second busiest city or village police agency in Belmont County, Copeland said.

“To date, we’ve had over 2,200 calls (this year) for service within the village, so we feel that it’s very important that it’s maintained 24/7, 365 coverage and we feel that our residents really deserve that,” he said.

Copeland said the Bridgeport Police Department covers both Bridgeport and the village and Brookside with five full-time officers and seven part-time officers.

“Our full-time officers make $15.75 an hour which is significantly lower than most other agencies within the county. The current levy isn’t to increase wages, even though that’s something we think needs to be addressed later on down the road, it’s to maintain what we currently have,” he said.

Copeland said that the state auditors assigned to the village’s financial recovery plan have identified that the police department is the biggest part of the village’s budget and failure of the levy will result in decreased police service.

The average cost for the proposed police levy for homeowners would be 29 cents per day. If the homeowner is eligible for the Homestead Exemption, the cost would be 17 cents per day, he said.

“It’s a very small amount to pay to ensure you have 24/7 police coverage for you and your loved ones,” Copeland said. “We hope that you’re in a position to vote ‘yes’ and back the blue in the November election for the Bridgeport police levy.”

Mayor Norma Teasdale then spoke about the two operating renewal levies that also will appear on the ballot.

“Bridgeport has been going through difficult times in the past several years. As you heard from Lt. Darby, the police levy needs to be passed. We also need to pass the two renewal levies. The operating levies provide for the general fund for the village,” she said.

Teasdale said the two levies help support the village’s general fund. Nearly 20 percent of the village’s general fund comes from the two levies, she said.

“Fifty-two percent for police protection, 17 percent for garbage collection, 16 percent for village administration, 7 percent for day-to-day administrative costs which are utilities and insurances, 4 percent for maintenance and improvements, 3 percent for loans for the police department and a garbage truck, and 2 percent for fire and emergency costs,” she said.

Teasdale said each of the operating levies generates approximately $12,000 annually for the village.

“If these levies were to fail, the village would likely need to address the reduction in revenue by reducing spending, most likely within the police department,” she said. “The police department costs approximately $400,000 to operate annually. The police department represents more than half of all the general fund spending each year.”

The police levy is expected to generate $105,000 annually and provide additional revenue to help fund the department, she said.

“With everyone’s help and a ‘yes’ vote, we can continue as a village and with our police force. We need your ‘yes’ votes. Remember, the two general fund renewal levies will not change your property taxes,” Teasdale said.

Copeland said the village appreciates the community’s support and hopes that residents will vote in favor of the three levies.

“We appreciate your ‘yes’ vote coming up shortly in November. We’re hopeful that we can continue to provide the service that our community has become accustomed to in having a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year, police officer available when help is needed,” he said.

Early in-person voting in the general election already is underway, along with mail-in absentee voting. Contact the Belmont County Board of Elections at 52180 National Road, St. Clairsville, for more information.