Levy would triple tax in Swan Creek Township

2/17/2005

DELTA, Ohio - Voters in southeastern Fulton County's Swan Creek Township will be asked in May to more than triple the taxes they pay on a township road levy.

Township trustees filed a 1-mill, five-year replacement levy with the Fulton County Board of Elections yesterday that would increase annual collections to almost $111,500, up from almost $35,500 on the levy that expires this year.

The levy has been renewed for decades; one attempt to replace it some years ago was denied, trustee Jim Meyer said. If the replacement request is approved in May, the annual cost to the owner of a $100,000, owner-occupied home would increase to almost $31 a year, up from about $8.50 now.

Mr. Meyer said trustees are asking for more money because of higher costs for maintaining roads.

"It won't even hardly pave a mile of road now," Mr. Meyer said of current levy collections. "We've been taking a lot of money out of general fund just to keep up with the roads."

Neither the current levy nor the requested replacement would tax property that is inside the village limits of Swanton or Delta.

"They're in the village and they pay their own there," Mr. Meyer said of village property owners.

The southwestern portion of Swanton and the eastern portion of Delta are in the township.