SEBRING, Ohio - The Sebring dispatch center could stop taking calls as village council members consider a shutdown. 

For more than a year, the village has been struggling to keep up with competitive wages, upgrading equipment and keeping enough staff on hand. 

“We're sort of out in the outlying area of Mahoning County but as small as we are it’s very difficult,” Tim Gabrelcik, the Sebring Village Manager said. 

Gabrelcik said the emergency answering point inside of the police station has been neglected for the past 20 years and needs expensive equipment to stay up to date. 

Voters did approve a police levy last year to bring in more money but it had to be dispersed among all the needs of the department, not just dispatch. 

“We were hoping that would help toward it but as we keep monitoring it we’re finding it's just too costly,” Gabrelcik said. 

If the center does shut down all the emergency calls would be outsourced to the Canfield dispatch.

“With the technology we’re very confident that they could provide the services for our residents,” Gabrelcik said. “We think that safety will still prevail.”

Canfield Police Chief Chuck Colucci told 21 News these discussions have been going on for more than a year to possibly absorb the calls from the Sebring Center. He declined to comment further until after council casts an official vote.

The Sebring dispatch center is one of eight emergency answering points in Mahoning County. Other locations include Austintown, Beaver, Boardman, Canfield, Struthers, Youngstown and an alternative location Campbell. 

The Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News he believes there are too many Public Safety Answering Points in the county now and doesn't see closing one as a bad thing.

Sebring Fire Chief Michael Springer did not offer a comment on the possible closure and deferred to the Village Manager.

Sebring Interim Police Chief Josh Kelm did not respond to our request for comment. 

The seven employees in Sebring could be offered severance or a possible transfer to the Canfield center. 

Council members could cast a vote on the shutdown at their meeting on Tuesday at 7p.m.