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No raise for Cadiz police

CADIZ — The Cadiz Police Department will not receive the $2 per hour raise it was hoping for due to lack of room in the budget.

Cadiz Councilman Eric Miller said after reviewing the police budget, the police and finance committees discovered they are unable to allocate the funds to provide a $2 per hour raise for police officers.

Miller had brought up a possible raise to bring the officer’s hourly rate from $16.50 to $18.50 during last month’s Cadiz Village Council meeting.

The raise would help keep current officers while also attracting new applicants, he said. It was recommended the finance and police committees hold a meeting to review the police budget to see if the raise would factor into this year’s and next year’s budgets. The meeting was held prior to Thursday’s council meeting.

Miller said they would have to look at other options to try to provide the raise.

Councilman John Vermillion then made a motion to allow police officers to drive their cruisers home at the end of their shift. He said officers will be able to drive their cruiser to and from work only. Clerk/Treasurer Amy Ossman said she would have to ensure it would be covered by the village’s insurance.

The motion was unanimously passed.

In other matters, Ossman voiced concerns after many residents have shown reluctance in completing forms that are necessary for the village to be designated as a low- to moderate-income community.

After only around 100 surveys were completed and returned to the village, council hired a temporary employee to go door-to-door in order to collect information from residents.

The village needs 348 households to complete the survey for its application to help determine if it will qualify for LMI status. The designation will allow the village to qualify for hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding.

Ossman said the new employee has only managed to collect approximately 12 surveys from residents in the past week.

“People are refusing him, so we’re not doing very well,” she said.

Councilman Terry Capers said the collection of a dozen surveys is progress. He added that the households who refuse can at least be checked off the list allowing the village to move on to other homes.

Ossman said it is important for residents to understand that completing the short survey will help the village complete projects which are beneficial to residents.

“This will help them (residents); please cooperate with us,” she added.

Mayor John Migliore added that the designation will help keep the cost of projects down.

Council also read the second of three readings that will allow the village to enter into a real estate purchase agreement with the Harrison Hills City School District Board of Education for the purchase of a 5-acre portion of Mazeroski Field. Vermillion said there is no agreement yet so they did not disclose a price.

The school board hopes to purchase the property from the village to construct a new baseball field.

Council next meets at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at the village municipal building in Cadiz.

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