Most of these tax levies will be officially certified by county boards of election in the coming days.
Huber Heights schools
By far the largest levy request is from the Huber Heights school district, which is requesting an 8.12-mill levy generating $6.9 million per year for five years. It would cost homeowners $284 annually per $100,000 in property value.
The district has a comparatively high cash balance, but says it is planning budget cuts regardless of if the levy passes, because of projected deficits in upcoming years. Treasurer Penny Rucker said at a board meeting in early January the district should make at least $1.7 million in cuts in the first year to stay in good financial standing.
Beavercreek police levy
The city of Beavercreek is requesting a permanent 1.8-mill levy that would generate more than $3 million in additional funds for the police department. The city of Beavercreek says the funds generated would be used to hire five more officers and purchase more equipment.
Last fall, Beavercreek voters rejected a 2.5-mill November levy that had additional plans to build a new police department. Beavercreek officials say the current levy would not include a new police building.
The levy would cost an additional $63 per $100,000 in property evaluation.
Fairborn schools
Fairborn Schools have asked for a 1.7-mill, 34-year bond issue generating $24.6 million to be placed on the May ballot. It would cost $60 per $100,000 in home evaluation.
The proposal would pay the remaining costs on the new high school construction project. The district says the cost of the construction on the new high school has inflated from $70 million to $82 million.
A 5.83-mill bond issue was approved in 2020 to pay for the new high school, arts center and athletics complex. The district also has funding from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
Vandalia-Butler
The school district is asking for an additional 1% income tax that would generate about $6.4 million per year and last five years, said Vandalia-Butler Treasurer Eric Beavers.
Vandalia Superintendent Rob O’Leary said the funds would pay for the cost of daily operations. In all local school districts, the No. 1 expense is employee salary and benefits. O’Leary said the levy would help fund the school safety officer program, middle school and high school electives and elementary classes like art and music.
O’Leary said the district has never previously used an income tax, though it’s been discussed. But this option allows flexibility in payment with inflation and job loss and doesn’t impact most senior citizens in the community, who may have trouble affording the property tax increases.
Other school levies
- Northmont schools are requesting a 10-year, 7.82-mill levy that is expected to generate $5.8 million yearly. It would cost residents $273.70 annually per $100,000 of property value, according to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office.
- The Mad River school district is asking for a permanent 5.9-mill additional levy that would raise $1.54 million per year and cost about $207 per $100,000 in property value.
- Beavercreek Schools are asking for renewal of a 5.25-mill substitute levy for another five years. That levy raises $11.4 million per year and costs $184 per $100,000 of valuation, according to the Greene County Auditor’s office.
- Xenia Schools is asking again for the renewal levy of a 0.5% annual income tax for seven years. The measure failed by one vote in November.
- Franklin City Schools are asking for a substitute levy of 13.92 mills, which would continue to cost $488 per $100,000 in valuation and collect $7.75 million each year for five years.
- Carlisle schools are asking for a renewal of 4.41 mills, which costs $154 per $100,000 in home valuation and collects $993,222 each year for five years.
Other city, township levies
- Montgomery County’s Miami Twp. is asking voters to replace an existing 5.25-mill police levy with an increase to 5.75 mills for police. The annual cost is estimated at $201 per $100,000 in home value (an increase of $73), with revenue estimated to be about $4 million yearly.
- Xenia Twp. will have two levies on the May ballot. The township is asking for a 3.5-mill, $561,742 road levy, costing $123 per each $100,000, for five years. The township is also asking for a 3.5-mill fire levy, which would have the same cost.
- Sugarcreek Twp. is asking for a new police tax for 1.5 mills, generating $721,000 per year and costing homeowners $53 per $100,000 in property evaluation.
- Cedarville is asking for a renewal of a 1.25% income tax rate as a permanent percentage.
- New Jasper Twp. is asking for renewal of a 1.5-mill, $101,000 road levy that would continue to cost $44 per $100,000 in property value.
- Jackson Twp. South Fire is asking for a 1.5-mill, $108,926 renewal fire levy that would again cost a homeowner $43.44 per $100,000 in value.
- Brookville, Cedarville, Huber Heights, Troy and Union are requesting the ability to aggregate natural gas loads. Union, Brookville and Cedarville are also asking to aggregate electric loads.
- Trotwood is asking for the renewal of a 4.15-mill, $988,291 fire and EMS levy that costs $110.67 per $100,000 in property evaluation.
- Farmersville is asking for a renewal of a 1.5-mill, $22,931 street and road levy that costs about $36 per $100,000 in property valuation.
- Brown Twp. is asking for an additional 1.5 mill levy for five years to cover current expenses.
Reporters Aimee Hancock. London Bishop and Nick Blizzard contributed to this story.
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