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It still is not clear what Pataskala voters will be asked to approve in November to keep the city’s police department operating.

According to ThisWeek Community Newspapers in Licking County, Pataskala City Council’s finance committee met on Monday and talked more about property taxes versus an income tax.

“My hestitation is I don’t want the city to be so heavily reliant on property taxes,” said Finance Committee Chair Merissa McKinstry.

The city has to find a way to fund police department operations, with the current 5-mill levy set to expire at the end of this year. Collections stop in 2010.

The city also is struggling to fund street repairs and the general fund, after failing to renew a street levy in 2006 and unsuccessfully trying to pass an income tax seven times since 2001.

In June, Pataskala City Council tabled an ordinance to put an 8-mill permanent police levy on the November ballot. McKinstry said city officials are concerned that putting a police levy and a street levy on the November ballot will cause both issues to fail.

She said Pataskala City Council is expected to talk more about potential ballot issues during regular meetings Monday, July 6.