School levies: Area districts ask voters to keep revenue flowing

10/30/2004

Nearly three dozen school districts throughout northwest Ohio have new levies or taxes on Tuesday's ballot, while more are urging voters to renew funding.

Extracurricular activities in the Patrick Henry Local Schools are on the line with the district's 5.9-mill, three-year levy.

The school board is making its third request this year and has said it will eliminate sports and other activities if this latest effort should fail. Voters denied a five-year levy of the same millage in August and an 8.75-mill, five-year levy in the spring primary.

For this election, the campaign committee has raised $8,000 and is running ads picturing a little boy in a football uniform and a little girl in a cheerleading outfit looking at the football field through a locked gate with the headline, "I want to be a Patriot someday," a reference to the nickname of the district's high school.

Without making changes, district Treasurer Thomas Taylor said Patrick Henry will end its fiscal year June 30 with a carryover of $250,000, which is about one-sixth of what the Ohio Department of Education recommends.

The department urges districts to keep enough funds on hand to cover two to three months of expenditures, Mr. Taylor said, and Patrick Henry spends almost $700,000 a month.

The district has felt squeezed in recent months in part because a 1.75 percent income tax is producing less than it did in the boom years of 1999 and 2000. In the latest fiscal year, the district received about 8 percent less from its income tax than it did in the 1999-2000 fiscal year.

That's a $118,000 drop from the 1999-2000 level of more than $1.5 million.

If levy fails, the board is expected to cut $400,000 from its budget for November through the end of 2005. Much of that is expected to come from extracurricular activities, which cost the board $225,000 a year.

In southern Wood County, voters in the Elmwood Local Schools are being asked to renew the district's two income tax issues, although neither expires for more than a year.

Superintendent Dave Rossman said the board is looking ahead in asking for five-year renewals of its 0.75 percent and 0.5 percent income taxes.

The two taxes generate more than $1.1 million for the district, which he said is in good financial condition.

In the Findlay school district, voters are asked to approve a new 4.9-mill, three-year operating levy.

"It came about with the fact that a year ago, we lost $1.2 million dollars in personal property taxes," said Bob Lotz, district superintendent.

"And in our community, in our school district, there's no potential for growth as far as industry is concerned."

The following is a list of school districts in northwest Ohio counties with money issues on Tuesday's ballot.

Allen East: Renewal 2.75-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Bath: Combined new and renewal 7.7-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Delphos: New 5.5-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Elida: New 2.6-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Perry: New 4.96-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Ayersville: Renewal 2-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Berlin Milan: New 3.9-mill, permanent operating levy.

EHOVE: New 0.5-mill, 10-year permanent improvement levy.

Huron: New 6.9-mill, 3-year operating levy.

Perkins: New 6.9-mill, permanent operating levy.

Sandusky: Renewal 3-mill, 5-year operating levy and renewal 2-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Vermilion: New 2-mill, permanent improvement levy for a continuing period.

Arcadia: New 1 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Elmwood: Renewal 0.5 percent income tax, five years, operating expenses.

Elmwood: Renewal 0.75 percent income tax, five years, operating expenses.

Findlay: New 4.9-mill, 3-year operating levy.

Van Buren: New 7.2-mill levy, four years, operating expenses.

Vanlue: New 6.6-mill, 5-year operating levy and renewal of 5.7-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Holgate: New 0.5 percent, permanent income tax for operations.

Patrick Henry: New 5.9-mill, 3-year operating levy.

EHOVE: New 0.5-mill, 10-year permanent improvement levy.

Monroeville: 5.5-mill, 28-year bond issue for renovating and improving school sites.

New London: New 4.5-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy.

Seneca East: 6.06-mill, 28-year bond issue, 2.13-mill, 28-year bond issue, and 0.5-mill, 23-year levy for maintaining the new classrooms to be constructed.

Willard: New 5.7-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy.

Benton Carroll Salem: New 4.8-mill, 5-year operating levy.

EHOVE: New 0.5-mill, 10-year permanent improvement levy.

Genoa: 5-mill, 5-year renewal operating levy.

Lake: 1.25 percent, 5-year new income tax for operations.

Antwerp: New 0.75 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Vantage Career Center: Replacement 2.3-mill permanent levy for operations.

Wayne Trace: New 0.5 percent, permanent income tax for operations.

Continental: New 4.8-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Jennings: New 6-mill, permanent operating levy.

Ottoville: Replacement 1.7-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Vantage Career Center: Replacement 2.3-mill permanent levy for operations.

Clyde-Green Springs: 5.9-mill, 5-year operating levy.

EHOVE: New 0.5-mill, 10-year permanent improvement levy.

Gibsonburg: Renewal 1-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Old Fort: 1 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Fostoria: New 9.63-mill, 5-year levy.

Mohawk: Renewal 1 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Old Fort: New 1 percent, 5-year income tax.

Seneca East: 6.06-mill, 28-year bond issue, 2.13-mill, 28-year bond issue and 0.5-mill, 23-year levy for maintaining the new classrooms to be constructed.

Clyde-Greensprings: 5.9-mill, 5-year emergency requirements levy.

EHOVE: New, 0.5-mill, 10-year improvement levy.

Carey: 1 percent income tax, 5 years.

Edgerton: Renewal 2.8-mill, 4-year permanent improvement levy.

North Central: New 5.9-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Elmwood: Renewal 0.5 percent, 5-year income tax for operations, renewal 0.75 percent, 5-year income tax, operations.

Lake: New 1.25 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Northwood: New 3.9-mill continuing levy for operations.

Perrysburg: New 5.8-mill, 4-year incremental levy for operations.

Rossford: New 2-mill continuing levy for permanent improvements.