Levies for schools, libraries, police service on Tuesday's ballots

10/26/2010

Voters in several suburban areas will cast ballots for an assortment of issues, including levies for schools, libraries, or township police and fire operations.

Springfield Township residents will decide two funding levies.

In the Springfield Local Schools district, a 3.9-mill continuing operating levy is on the ballot. School officials estimate that the levy, if approved, would generate $2.8 million a year and would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $119 a year.

About $3.1 million has been slashed in three rounds of spending reductions since before the start of the 2009-10 school year.

Of that total, about $1 million was cut after voters defeated a 3.9-mill, five-year operating levy in May.

School officials have said that defeat of the levy on the Nov. 2 ballot could trigger $1 million in further cuts, such as eliminating high school transportation; consolidating bus stops, and canceling field trips.

Elementary school buildings would close during the school week 30 minutes after dismissal, and all buildings would be shut after school hours, including on weekends, to activities other than contracted commitments with the Northern Lakes League.

Baseball, softball, and track would be cut next spring, and other sports and extracurricular activities would be eliminated for the 2011-12 school year. Other trims then would include additional consolidation and reduction in transportation services, elimination of summer programs except a third-grade reading class for children who fail to pass the Ohio reading assessment, and more staff reductions.

Springfield Township trustees have placed a 3-mill levy on the November ballot to pay for police service. Approval of the five-year tax issue would allow the township to pay three Lucas County sheriff's deputies for around-the-clock protection while a permanent solution is sought for police coverage.

If approved, the levy would raise $1.7 million annually and would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 about $90 a year.

Waterville residents will vote on whether to approve a charter change for committee and commission appointments that could result in a fundamental power shift in the village's government.

If approved, the change would grant council the authority to appoint members to the planning commission, the finance committee, the board of zoning appeals, and the civil service commission, providing the mayor has failed to fill the vacancies within 60 days.

The charter now calls for the mayor to make the appointments with council approval.

Committees and commissions are staffed by council members and volunteers from the community.

Issues in Wood County include a 1.6-mill, five-year additional levy for the Bowling Green City School District to prevent an operating deficit, and a 1.9-mill, five-year permanent improvement replacement levy in the Perrysburg school district.

Wood County District Public Library is asking voters to approve an 0.8-mill, five-year levy that would generate more than $1 million annually and enable the library to restore hours, staff, materials purchases, and other services that have been cut.

North Baltimore Public Library in Wood County is seeking a 1.95-mill continuing levy.

The Wood County Health District is asking voters to approve a 0.5-mill, 10-year replacement levy to provide services to the elderly and WIC clients.

Middleton Township voters will decide whether to approve a 2-mill, three-year fire levy, and Perrysburg Township is seeking approval of a 3-mill, five-year renewal of its police levy.