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WAYNESVILLE, Warren County — The village of Waynesville will have two proposed tax levies on the Aug. 5 special election ballot.

The village is asking voters to pass Issue 4, which replaces the current 5.5 mill police levy and requests an additional 1.5 mill.

Issue 5 is a replacement levy with a reduction of 1.5 mill for the village's streets division.

Homeowners now pay a combined 8 mills in levies — 5.5 mills for police and 2.5 mills for streets. Issues 4 and 5 also total 8 mills — 7 mills for police and 1 mill for streets.

Although the millage that village residents now pay stays the same with the proposed levies, home owners will see an increase in their overall taxes because property rates will increase, according to the Warren County auditor's office.

If the levies pass, the owner of an estimated $142,000 home would pay around $76 annually, according to the auditor's office.

Police Chief Gary Copeland said the police levy is needed to continue the department's community-oriented policing now in place.

"I believe it is a collaborated effort between the police department and the residents of Waynesville to improve the quality of life in the village," Copeland said.

Regular business checks and neighborhood patrols have become a routine part of officers' daily schedule, he said.

Another benefit, Copeland said, is the daily presence of police in the district's schools.

"The increase in bullying and school violence has made it more important to establish a good relationship with over 1,400 students in our school system," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or kmcallister@DaytonDailyNews.com.