Schools

It's Official: 7.84-mil Renewal Levy on November Ballot

The Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education approved the last step to put a renewal on the Nov. 6.

Voters will have the opportunity to decide whether a renewal levy that generates $7.3 million annually will be collected for the next 10 years for the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District this November. 

The current levy is for five years at 7.3-mils and expires at the end of 2012. The renewal levy, which will still generate $7.3 million annually, is for 10-years at 7.84-mils this time.

If passed in November, the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home:

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  • $240.10 a year 
  • $20 a month

The first collection would begin in 2014 for the 2013 taxes. 

The voted 4-1 to approve putting the levy on the ballot June 11.

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Board Member Rod Armstrong voted against the measure. He said he would be more comfortable asking voters for a levy for two years and for a lower millage amount based on the . 

"It takes away tax payer control over the levies and over the renewals," said Armstrong. 

Vice President Karen Wright explained she was in favor of going to the voters for 10 years because of some uncertainties in state funding. 

"I don’t think that in the near future Columbus is going to give us a boat load of money to remedy our troubles," she said. "We can’t let that go by the wayside ... if you don’t have [the money], the catch up is worse."

She also mentioned that putting a levy on the ballot every couple of years is costly. 

Dick Spangler, who reiterated that promotion for levies is paid for by private donations, said "stretching this out to 10 years and not having to do it every two, three, five years shores up a lot of work."

Armstrong also suggested combinging the levy expiring this year with 4.6-mil renewal that will expire in two years. 

Treasurer/CFO Catherine Bulgrin said combing two renewal levies would be confusing to the community because the milage would go up to about 12-mils and new money will be needed in about five years.

"We're trying to avoid voter fatigue," she said. "If we do that, the voters in this community will throw their hands up and not understand what we're doing."


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