Wood Co. halves ’14 levy for job and family services

9/11/2013

BOWLING GREEN — Good news for Wood County property owners: The levy collected each year for job and family services will be cut in half next year.

County commissioners announced Tuesday that only half of the 1.3-mill levy will be charged to property owners in 2014. That means the owner of a home valued at $100,000 will pay just under $20 for the year rather than the $39.81 collected this year.

The levy currently generates approximately $3.5 million a year, according to the county auditor’s office.

“It’s great news for the taxpayers because once Job and Family Services decided they wouldn’t need that amount of money, they asked us if they could discontinue it for the next year so the taxpayers could get a little reprieve,” said Jim Carter, president of the board of county commissioners. “They’ve done that before, and we appreciate the fact that people who put on levies and see that they’re getting more money than they need would do that.”

The agency, which uses levy proceeds for child and adult protective services, has had a declining number of children in need of foster care, JFS Director Dave Wigent told commissioners.

Because of previous surpluses, Wood County Job and Family Services suspended collection of the levy for 2000, 2001, and 2011.

— Jennifer Feehan