CHESAPEAKE — Chesapeake’s village council voted on Monday to send a 1.5 mil police levy to the county election commission.

The levy, which would pay for a “police working fund,” will appear on the fall general election ballot.

Mayor Tommy Templeton said he realized the levy may be a hard sell, given that a tax levy had failed in the 2016 election.

“It’s going to be tough, but we need to try,” he said, noting that the last levy failed by 27 votes. “I think if we worked on it a bit and it’s dedicated to the police department, it could pass.”

Council member Randy Penix agreed.

“We’re going to have to take it out and sell it,” he said. “It’s going to be big work.”

Council member Paul Hart suggested an alternative form of funding by charging an additional $1 per month on all utilities.

“It would be more fair and businesses in town would pay,” he said.

Templeton asked community members present for their thoughts.

Resident Lisa Blake said she would be inclined to vote for the levy, given that it is dedicated to the police department, while Robert Cochrane, another regular attendee of the meetings, said he would not vote for it.

“I wouldn’t,” he said. “What have you done? What is your claim to fame to raise taxes?”

Templeton said if the police levy passed, it would allow for general operating funds to be used for other purposes in the village.

“You would free up $13,000,” he said.

He said that a fire levy will be on the 2018 ballot and if the police was not passed this year, it would be difficult to do so in the future.

Council members said they would discuss Hart’s proposal with the village solicitor, but Templeton said that, with the deadline for the ballot approaching, they should go ahead and vote for the levy and, if needed, it could be pulled before the general election.

Initially, the council voted 5-1 to place the levy on the ballot, with Kenny Wolfe opposing. However, after Wolfe voted against it, Hart said he wanted to change his vote and opposed it as well.

“I only wanted to support it if it was unanimous,” he said.

The council also held a second reading on Hart’s proposal to require current businesses and new businesses operating within Chesapeake to apply for an annual certificate to operate.

The certificate would be obtained from the clerk-treasurer and those who failed to do so would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $100 per day, Hart said.

If passed after third reading, the $10 per year certificate would be required after June 1.

In other business, the council:

• Voted 6-0 to establish a drug law enforcement fund and a law enforcement trust fund. Templeton said these were necessary to allow Chesapeake to receive money from fines related to drug busts in the village.

• Voted 6-0 to accept an $11,081 bid for a new truss and roof for the Chesapeake-Union Volunteer fFire Department. The issue of the building’s leaking roof has been discussed at the last few council meetings and the council agreed to the bid, provided Union Township pays half of the costs.

• Voted 6-0 to pay $200 to repair a retired village police cruiser to get it back into service.

• Voted 6-0 to allow for a police cruiser to be taken to London, Ohio on Thursday to take part in a procession when Chesapeake police officer Aaron Christian is inducted into the Ohio Peace officers Memorial. Christian, who died of injuries received in a crash last year, will be inducted along with five other officers. Templeton said he will attend and take part in the event, which is set for 10 a.m. and is open to the public.