Saturday, July 26, 2025 – Capsule Reports

Dispatchers hired Two new dispatchers were hired for Portland Police Department during a brief Portland Board of Works meeting Friday. Police Chief Dustin Mock recommended the hiring of Jamie Miller, who has experience as a full-time dispatcher for Jay County Sheriff’s Office, and Holly Garringer, who has been working part-time for the city, for the two open positions. Board of works members Jerry Leonhard, Steve McIntosh and Mayor Jeff Westlake approved their hirings unanimously. The board also approved a change order to extend the construction end date for the ongoing upgrades at the city’s wastewater treatment plan to Oct. 8, 2026, from the previous Sept. 8, 2026, and a pay request of $250,500 from James S. Jackson Company for work completed in June. Village approved The public will decide this fall whether to increase the village’s income tax. Fort Recovery Village Council approved intent to proceed with proposing a 1.5% income tax levy on a final reading Monday and directed fiscal officer Roberta Staugler to file a certified copy of the intent with the board of elections for placing the income tax levy on the ballot in November. If approved, the village will begin collecting a 1.5% income tax, up 0.5 percentage points from the current rate. The village's four real estate tax levies total 9.8 mills — in Ohio, property taxes are charged as millage, with one mill equal to one-tenth of a cent — and generate about $300,000 annually. Village officials have agreed not to collect on the real estate tax levies if the income tax levy passes. According to village administrator Randy Diller, the increased income tax would generate $200,000 and $400,000 more than the real estate tax levies and save property owners an average of 14% each year on their real estate tax bills.