After a year of deep budget cuts following a failed police levy on the 2024 ballot, Austintown officials got a reason to celebrate Tuesday night.

Voters approved a five-year additional levy of 2.2 mills to fund the township's police department by a margin of 3,937 for the levy, 3,685 against. The levy will cost homeowners approximately $77 for every $100,000 in property value, generating more than $2 million annually.

"This was something that we definitely did need," said Austintown Trustee Robert Santos, who also won his reelection bid Tuesday night. "Otherwise, there were going to be some very, extremely hard choices being made."

The Austintown police department has taken deep cuts this year: reducing staff from 43 to 34 officers, slashing overtime, eliminating subscription-based prog

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