Madison Village voters have rejected a levy that would have generated additional funding for the community’s Police Department.

The 5.18-mill continuous levy was defeated 205-160 in the May 2 Special Election, according to unofficial final results from the Lake County Elections Board.

This levy would have raised $450,000 per year and cost taxpayers $181.30 annually per $100,000 in property valuation, according to the Lake County Auditor’s Office. Madison Village’s current police levy yields $256,000 annually and costs taxpayers $102.67 a year per $100,000 in property valuation.

Revenue from the 5.18-mill levy would have been used for salaries; the cost of providing and maintaining vehicles, supplies and equipment; and other general operating expenses for the village Police Department.

Village Administrator Dwayne Bailey said it was disappointing that the levy didn’t pass.

“Our community values safety and security, and this levy was an important step in ensuring that our police force has the resources they need to provide a level of service expected by the community,” he said. “We will continue to work hard to find solutions to maintain a quality police force for Madison Village.”

Village government leaders asked voters to approve a levy which consisted of 3.8 replacement mills and a 1.38-mill increase. If the levy had passed, Madison Village would have been able to collect tax revenue based on current property values, rather than those on the books when its current police levy was passed in 2014.

When village voters cast ballots nine years ago, they approved a continuous 3.8-mill police levy which was intended to produce $240,000 per year.

In 2014, the year during which the existing levy passed, $539,000 was budgeted for the Madison Village Police Department. For 2023, the police department’s budget totals about $1.3 million.

The current levy generates $256,000 a year in revenue — slightly higher than the original $240,000 annual yield — but that’s only because of new homes and businesses that were added in Madison after 2014, according to the Lake County Auditor’s Office.