Last year, as revenue continued to plummet in Northwood, council was faced with either making more budget cuts, or finding a new revenue source to maintain its current level of services.

For months, Mayor Mark Stoner and city council debated several options, including reducing the tax credit for residents who worked outside the city, charging a fee for garbage pickup, and increasing the income tax rate. Stoner and council decided to make deep budget cuts in all city departments, including the safety services provided by the fire and police departments. Among the cuts in the fire department made by Stoner, and approved by council, were a hiring freeze, and the elimination of a two person crew who manned Station 1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Later, council reluctantly agreed to put a .25-percent income tax increase on the November ballot, which was soundly defeated by voters.

Former Administrator Pat Bacon, who retired last October, recently told The Press that she was often frustrated that Stoner and council refused to support her various proposals to increase revenue.

“We knew where we were at with the budget,” said Bacon. “I proposed to increase revenue and it was not supported by the mayor. He was opposed to increasing revenue. I went to council with ideas to increase revenue and it was voted down. Council has the final say. If they don’t pass legislation, it is a moot issue.”

The cuts in the fire and police departments, she said, were indefensible.

“Police and fire are the last places where you want to make cuts. Those are services residents expect,” she said. “People will complain about cutting police and safety services before they complain about cutting one person in the tax or zoning offices.”

On March 3 this year, Tim Mix, of Parc Rue, waited 28 minutes after his wife called 9-1-1 before the city’s Medic 804 responded. By then, Mix had stopped breathing. He was revived, but was taken off life support at Mercy St. Vincent’s Medical Center two days later due to brain damage from a lack of oxygen, according to Mix’s wife, Ellen, who had made the first 9-1-1 call at 6:49 that morning. When she made the second call at 6:58 a.m. Tim was still responding. When she made the third call to 9-1-1 at 7:11 a.m., Tim had stopped breathing. Medic 804 eventually got to the scene at 7:17 a.m.

Had the two person crew who had manned Station 1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday not been eliminated as part of the budget cuts last year, perhaps they may have been able to reach Tim before he had stopped breathing.

“Public safety is an issue,” said Bacon. “It does not matter who you are or where you live. I want someone there when I dial 9-1-1. The residents pay taxes and they want safety services. They may want the roads repaired but until there is a pot hole, they don’t worry about it.”

Bacon said she and former Fire Chief Tim Romstadt had gone before the Finance Committee last year to discuss placing a fire levy on the ballot to bring in new revenue. The proposal went nowhere.

“It seems like, in other communities with fire levies, the levies are supported. In Lake Township and Perrysburg, they will pass a fire levy before a school levy. Residents do not want to jeopardize their fire and police services,” said Bacon.

Council President Ed Schimmel, chairman of the Safety Committee, said he is opposed to any kind of tax because residents are struggling in the economic recession.

He said he supported the elimination of the two person crew for the day shift, but was unaware there would be any gaps in coverage.

In an article that appeared in The Press last February, Stoner said he was also opposed to tax increases. The budget, he said, could be trimmed some more after the city made $600,000 in cuts in late 2009.

“We’re going to have to eliminate a couple hundred thousand dollars somehow,” he said in the article. “We can’t run a deficit. I think there’s more room to cut the budget. We’ve been trying not to affect services to the citizens. But there might come a time when the citizens might notice it.”

Councilman Dave Gallaher stated in the article that he had doubts there was much more to cut from the budget.

“If residents want their house painted, they can hire a painter. If they want their grass cut, they can hire someone to do that. They can’t hire police and fire protection,” said Gallaher. “Safety services are something that the city is responsible to provide. I thought when we laid off police, and cut the fire department, that we were bare bones. If there’s more things we can cut, then I’m upset they haven’t been cut already.”

Stoner recently told The Press that he did not anticipate there would be gaps in EMS coverage by cutting the two person crew.

“I did not know when I made those cuts that it would leave us with a gap,” said Stoner. “That should not have happened. The Mix incident was the perfect storm. I did not know or anticipate that would happen. It was an unfortunate incident.”

When asked if help could have arrived sooner to the Mix home had the two person crew not been eliminated, Stoner said he did not know.

“Technically, they would not have started until 7 a.m. I am not a mind reader. I am thinking, maybe, but I don’t know,” he said.

Stoner said he doubts there will be more cuts in the police and fire budgets.

“The budgets are looking better and we can do a few more things. I have to look out for the safety of the community. I don’t anticipate any more cuts, depending on the revenue. If things get better, we can do more. Every department has had cuts. I tried to be fair and equitable with those cuts,” he said.

Stoner said the city cannot afford a full-time fire department.

“We have never done a dedicated fire levy. Eight years ago, we put on a levy that would have benefited the police, streets and fire departments and it got voted down. Last year, we debated whether to put an income tax increase on the ballot. Council decided on the income tax and voters defeated it. If we can’t get volunteers, then we are looking at having a paid department and that costs a lot of money. If you get a full-time department, a lot of volunteers would be out. This is family and history and tradition for a lot of firefighters. I would hate to just say Thanks for your years of service. See you later. To get a full-time department, a significant levy would be needed,” he said.

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