STEUBENVILLE — When Steubenville voters head to the polls Tuesday, city officials are hoping they think about all their police, firefighters and paramedics do day in and day out to keep them and their property safe.

The city’s two income tax levies, which provide crucial funding for staffing as well as equipment for police, firefighters and the ambulance service as well as some other departments and services, are up for renewal on the primary election ballot. If approved by voters, Steubenville’s 0.7% income tax and its 0.3% income tax would be in effect for five more years.

— The 0.7% levy generates about $4.648 million a year. Most of it — about $3.748 million — supports staffing, primarily for first responders though employees in other general fund departments, like the street and recreation departments, benefit as well. Some is also used for street resurfacing, park and recreation improvements and provides local matching funds to leverage state and federal grants.

— The 0.3% levy generates about $1.992 million, with 85% of the revenue — a little more than $1.693 million — going to the general fund for staffing and 15% ($298,800) going toward paving roads.

Fire Chief Joe Ribar says the levy funding is crucial to his department’s operation. While the majority of the revenue covers salaries, he said levy funds have allowed them to earmark $50,000-$75,000 a year to replace turnout gear at the end of its mandatory 10-year life cycle and to pay for improvements, including new roofs at the city’s fire stations. On the ambulance side, Ribar said they’ve used levy money to purchase and equip ambulances as well as for major purchases like cardiac monitors and lift systems.

He said the department’s 43 firefighters — 38 of whom have their EMS certification — provide around-the-clock protection for residents and businesses. He also has one secretary.

“We average 90-110 calls a week for EMS, along with another 20-30 fire runs,” Ribar said. “And there are a lot of calls people don’t see, people who need lift assists or people who have trouble getting to the doctor.”

Without the levy funding, he said the fire prevention programs they do in city schools would probably end and they’d be forced to close a fire station, “if not two of them.”

“With these income tax levies, you see your tax money at work,” Ribar said. “You see it everyday whether you call the police or you call an ambulance and see them go by, or when you see a firetruck–that’s what this levy money does. It’s one of the few levies where you get to see (your tax dollars) at work every day.”

Police Chief Ken Anderson likewise said the department would be severely impacted should the levies fail.

“Like the fire department, our wages and benefits are tied to these levies,” he said. “In the event they would not be renewed, we’d be looking at significant reductions in staff. We want to make sure we keep our department intact, we don’t want to lose any employees because they all have a role in what we’re able to do here, every one of them is important.

The police department has a staff of 44 — that includes four dispatchers who field calls from the public, monitor radio traffic and manage walk-ins who need assistance, as well as two support staff members, one of them part time.

Anderson points out the patrol division is out on the street, “seven days a week, 24 hours a day, patrolling our neighborhoods enforcing the law answering calls when people need help and protecting our homes, our businesses, our schools and our churches.” Some officers are assigned to work with the drug task force to get guns and illegal narcotics off city streets, which he said remains a top priority; others are part of the department’s criminal investigative unit, where they are responsible for investigating felonies and misdemeanors, both violent and nonviolent crimes. He said all of those divisions work hand in hand to keep Steubenville residents safe.

He said on average, Steubenville police respond to 900-1,000 calls a month, though the number is higher in summer months.

“But we’re also able to offer litter control, code enforcement and animal control services, all of which are important to our citizens,” he said. “So if we were to lose a significant number of officers, that’s going to affect the level of service that we’re able to provide to our residents.”

Anderson said all of his officers are very, very good at what they do.

“If there’s a significant reduction in funding we’re going to have to pull officers back from some or all of those divisions to make sure that we’re adequately staffed on patrol because they’re out there in our neighborhoods around the clock,” he said. “In order to have a safe city, you need an adequately staffed and well-equipped patrol division, they’re our first line of defense and that will always be our main focus.”

He points out violent crime in Steubenville has declined in recent years and said he’s proud of his officers, the work they’ve done and their attention to detail, pointing out the improvement “is a direct reflection of their hard work and dedication” to the community.

“Any reduction in funding would bring a reduction in staff, so services would be affected — it’s going to affect the level of service that we’re able to provide to our residents. I think our citizens deserve and expect a certain level of service and we’re proud to offer that every single day, whether it’s the police or fire doing it.”