Officials in Brookfield and Hubbard townships and the City of Hubbard want to know if it makes sense to combine their police departments.
That's why they're asking for a state grant to study the feasibility of a police district.
''The three communities can improve on the delivery of service and also the savings in doing so,'' said Hubbard Mayor John Darko. ''We all have gone through cuts with local government funds and also the other losses, we're just trying to maintain quality of service and maintain costs.''
During the regular meeting held Aug. 13, Hubbard City Council backed the effort. Officials in the other communities also have passed resolutions supporting the the effort to study the proposal.
Trumbull County commissioners approved the merger as well at their meeting held Aug. 15.
Grant Source Professionals of Youngstown is writing the request for an estimated $30,000 from the Ohio Department of Development's Local Government Innovation Fund, a state program that promotes the better delivery of government services.
About $5.5 million in grants and $32.5 million in loans is available in this round of funding. Applications are due Sept. 4.
If awarded, Darko said, the Center for Urban and Regional Studies at Youngstown State University could do the study.
Brookfield trustee Gary Lees said he sees the study as a stepping stone to explore other sharing arrangements, for instance in the road and emergency medical services departments.
''I feel that it's going to provide shared services, not only just in our police district if it comes about, but also provide us a chance to share equipment, any type of things that we have,'' Lees said.
A project in Trumbull County already has been awarded some money from the fund.
The county engineer's office won a $500,000 no-interest loan award to build a central salt storage facility at the office's North River Road N.W. facility.
In exchange, the office must provide a 10 percent local match either through in-kind labor, services or materials.