Voters in Goshen Township will soon decide whether to approve a new levy for its police department. 

The township’s trustees voted at their July 8 regular meeting to put the levy on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 4. The 5.7-mill levy would replace an existing tax, which is also set at 5.7 mills — but according to Police Chief John Calko, is based off of 2006 property values.

“If you're working a job in 2006 and you got a certain income at that time, and now you’re trying to live in 2026 off of your 2006 income, you can't do it, can you?” Calko said. “That's what we're doing right now.”

Meanwhile, “cars are going up, electrical is going up, gas is going up, utilities are going up … income is going up, everything's going up,” he added. 

Calko said the department has been using its carryover to pay its bills, but over the years it has gone from having a $200,000 carryover to just $20,000. 

“If you continue that, we're going to be bankrupt,” Calko said. “What you're going to have to do is either you’re going to have to lay officers off, you're going to have to get rid of equipment, you're going to have to go down to a part-time staff. That's what's gonna end up happening here.”

The replacement levy would amount to $200 for every $100,000 in property value, bringing in an estimated $627,000 annually for the Goshen Police District, which also serves Green Township and West Branch Local School District. That's a boost of more than $240,000, according to the police chief. 

Calko told 21 News while he understands and relates to concerns about raised taxes, “we have to be able to pay for these services,” and he feels confident voters will back the new levy. Calko also emphasized that the state of his department is “excellent.” 

“We have a full staff right now. I have people actually coming, knocking on my door to work here right now, which is great,” Calko said. “We're out in the community, we try to work in the community, and I just want everybody to know, we're here for you guys.”