Perrysburg puts 3 levies on ballot in November

Funding for fire, police aid will go before voters

7/17/2014

Voters in Perrysburg Township will find a trio of police and fire levies totaling 6 mills in property taxes on the November ballot.

Two of the levies are renewals for fire department services. One is a five-year, 1-mill levy that generates $383,360 a year and costs the owner of a $100,000 house $100 a year. The other is another five-year levy for 2-mills that generates $766,721 annually, and costs $200 a year for an owner of a $100,000 house.

New to township voters is a 3-mill levy for the police department. It is also five years and will generate $1.15 million a year and would cost $300 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home.

Perrysburg Township trustees, who voted Wednesday to put the levies before voters, have said a drop in state funds has left the police department losing about $1 million a year, which must be covered by the general fund.

The additional levy is necessary to replace the lost state funding, said Bob Mack, township trustee.

“This is attempting to make up for that,” he said.

The police department has been reduced by two officers, and those positions likely won’t be filled unless the levy passes, Police Chief Mark Hetrick said.

Fire Chief Tom Brice said the two fire levies will allow the department to continue its current services.

Township officials also announced Wednesday that Wood County has accepted the language proposed by the trustees for the township’s zoning initiative.

In November, voters also will vote on an initiative that will zone all of the unzoned land in the township.

Zoning designations will match the current use of parcels.

About half of the township, mostly agricultural areas, is unzoned.

Contact Matt Thompson at: mthompson@theblade.com, 419-356-8786, or on Twitter at @mthompson25.