Conneaut voters are going to have a significant choice to make in November.
At Monday night’s meeting, Conneaut Council voted to place a 3-mill levy on the November ballot to pay for three additional full-time firefighters. The levy would be double the current 1.5-mill fire levy.
The fire department has three full-time personnel on a shift at a time, and one part-time firefighter, Chief Steven Lee said earlier this month. The increase in the levy would allow the department to add three new full-time firefighters.
There have been issues keeping part-time firefighters with the department.
“The problem is, these guys, right now, they’re doing the same thing I was doing when I was in their shoes and working part time: trying to get a full-time fire job somewhere,” Lee said at a work session earlier this month. “It can almost be like a revolving door.”
City Manager Jim Hockaday said the fire department doesn’t just fight fires.