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Gold Hill's police levy wins support After working more than two months without respite, Gold Hill police Chief Rod Countryman may soon get his first day off. A measure to fund the city's police department passed when nearly 53 percent of voters returned ballots Tuesday in support of a five-year operating levy that would provide $54,000 to fund the city's second patrol officer. Of ballots counted, 178 Gold Hill residents voted in favor of the measure, and 115 against. The measure required at least a 50 percent voter turnout. "It's very positive that the community accepted the concept of enlarging the department," Countryman said. "It would be nice to get to the point to have a day off." Since Countryman reopened Gold Hill Police Department on April 1, he has responded to at least one call every day, seven days a week. He routinely works three to eight hours of overtime per day for which he is not paid, he said. "We're happy the community gave him what he needs," said Councilwoman Christine Alford. "The council is grateful that the people trusted us enough to re-open the department." The chief said he tried to give the community a feel for a professional police department, but can't adequately respond to the community's need on his own. Countryman's salary and operating costs are funded by the city's $75,000 public safety budget. Countryman said he would immediately start putting together a selection process for the town's new police officer, whom he hopes to have hired by the first of July when the funds are eligible for use. In last September's special election, a similar levy failed when only 43 percent of Gold Hill voters returned their ballots. Council members had hoped for a bigger turnout in the primaries once Gold Hill residents saw the benefit of their own police department. Alford said the measure most likely would have passed in September before she and other council members discovered that more than 50 Gold Hill voters had left the community or died. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2002 Mail Tribune, Inc.