Taxation issues dominate regional balloting

11/6/2005

Tax requests for law enforcement in Hancock County and services for mentally disabled people in Fulton County, along with a question of repealing a new sales tax in Henry County are expected to be among the most watched issues in the region Tuesday.

In Hancock County, voters will consider reinstating a 0.25-percent, five-year sales tax that expired June 30. It would generate $2.5 million a year for the county's criminal and administrative justice services.

If the sales tax would fail, Sheriff Mike Heldman has said he would lay off seven jail employees and one or two road deputies and reduce the number of beds at the jail by 46, including 10 that are rented from Putnam County.

Fulton County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities board is asking for an additional 2-mill, continuing levy that would provide homemaking and personal assistance, primarily for disabled adults who want to move out of their parents' home and live in an apartment or share a home. Like most area counties, Fulton has a waiting list for such services, which typically range in cost from $5,000 to $122,000 per person, per year, depending on the severity of their disabilities.

In Henry County, a former county commissioner led an effort to put a question of repealing a new 0.5 percent sales tax on the ballot after the county commissioners put it on the books without taking the issue to voters.

The tax, which commissioners approved in July, went into effect Oct. 1. It is expected to collect $1.1 million to $1.2 million a year for county expenses.

If a majority of voters would choose to repeal the tax, it would come off the tax rolls April 1. If so, the commissioners have said they would consider 25 percent cuts to the funds they provide the sheriff, emergency medical services, cooperative extension service, Soil and Water Conservation District, Community Improvement Corp., airport, fair, planning commission, and other services.

Other issues in northwest Ohio include:

ERIE COUNTY

Kelleys Island: initiative to retain the requirement for a full-time police chief who is a resident of the village.

DEFIANCE COUNTY

Defiance County: 1.2-mill, 5-year renewal for senior citizens services and 1.9-mill, 5-year renewal for mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

FULTON COUNTY

Amboy Township: 1-mill, 5-year, fire renewal.

Clinton Township: 1.15-mill, 5-year, additional fire levy.

Metamora: 2.6-mill, 5-year additional levy for water plant operations.

Pike Township: 0.5-mill, 5-year fire replacement.

Royalton Township: 1.8-mill, 5-year fire replacement and question of a proposed zoning plan.

Swanton: 0.5 percent, continuing additonal income tax for police.

Wauseon: eight charter amendments.

HENRY COUNTY

Holgate: 2.5-mill, 5-year renewal for village park and swimming pool.

Liberty Center village: Continuing 0.25-percent new income tax for parks.

McClure: 3-mill, 5-year operating renewal and 1.5-mill, 5-year operating renewal.

Freedom Township: 1.1-mill, 5-year replacement road and bridge levy.

Harrison Township: 1.5-mill, 3-year additional fire levy.

Ridgeville Township: 2-mill, 5-year replacement road and bridge levy.

OTTAWA COUNTY

Elmore: 0.75 percent, continuing, additional income tax for construction of a new sewer plant and 3-mill, 3-year street levy replacement.

Genoa: Proposal to reallocate a 0.5 percent tax - out of a current 1.5 percent income tax - from the sewer project to the general fund.

Rocky Ridge: 3-mill, 5-year additional tax for operations and municipal referendum on village water supply and distribution system.

Allen Township: 0.6-mill, 5-year additional cemetery levy.

Clay Township: 0.5-mill, 5-year cemetery renewal.

Danbury Township: 0.7-mill, 5-year fire replacement.

Harris Township: 0.7-mill, 5-year cemetery renewal.

PAULDING COUNTY

A 0.5-mill, 17-year maximum additional levy for jail and sheriff's office and 1-mill, 5-year replacement levy for mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

SANDUSKY COUNTY

A 0.25 percent, continuing sales tax for emergency medical services.

Woodville Village: 7.4-mill, 5-year combination replacement and new levy for current expenses.

SENECA COUNTY

A 0.3-mill, 5-year replacement levy for the general health district.

Fostoria: 0.5-percent, 5-year income tax renewal; approve creation of a commission that would frame a city charter and select 15 members of the panel.

WOOD COUNTY

Bloomdale: initiative to establish zoning regulations.

Custar: 2-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.

Haskins: 2-mill, 5-year additional for street construction.

Hoytville: 1.8-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.

Jerry City: 3.5-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.

Luckey: 1.9-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.

Milton Center: 5-mill, 5-year additional for current expenses; and 2.5-mill, 5-year replacement for street improvements.

Portage: 2-mill, 5-year additional for current expenses.

Risingsun: 3-mill, 3-year additional for current expenses and 2-mill, 5-year replacement for street resurfacing and repair.

Bloom Township: 3.8-mill, 5-year additional for fire apparatus, appliances, buildings, or sites; and 1-mill, 5-year replacement for road maintenance and construction.

Freedom Township: 3-mill, 3-year replacement for fire apparatus.

Henry Township: 2-mill, 5-year renewal for road maintenance.

Liberty Township: 0.3-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.

Montgomery Township: 3-mill, 5-year replacement for fire protection.

Perry Township: 0.5-mill, 3-year renewal for emergency medical services.

Troy Township: 1.2-mill, 5-year renewal for fire apparatus; and 0.8-mill, 5-year renewal for current expenses.