Dan Wiley of Wiley Companies gives a brief overview of production at its Sixth Street plant and fish oil division at warehouse space on Walnut Street.
Coshocton Tribune
Other levies on fall ballot related to roads, fire protection and operations
COSHOCTON – There are no county-wide levies on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for Coshocton County voters to decide, but several for certain sections regarding fire protection, government operations and more.
One of the more significant property tax levies is a 5-year renewal for River View Local Schools at 1.8 mills that generates an estimated $438,000 annually. Superintendent Dalton Summers said collections are not always projections and it’s estimated they’ll see from $385,000 to $400,000 from the levy this school year. It costs a $100,000 home about $25 a year.
It was first approved by voters in 1993. It’s for permanent improvements and supports transportation, technology and buildings and grounds.
Summers wants to be clear that this levy is not connected to the income tax levy for operations that was defeated last fall and again in the spring primary. That levy was to replace more than $2.2 million in lost funding from the closure of the American Electric Power plant in Conesville.
This levy, as a renewal, would not result in a rise from what one is paying in taxes now. It’s for permanent improvements only and cannot be used for salaries, benefits or operations.
About 25 percent of the levy funding goes to transportation, about 60 percent to buildings and grounds and the rest to technology. Summers said that could fluctuate from year to year based on needs.
Summers said bus replacement is crucial for the district as it’s one of the largest in area in the state at 376 square-miles. They have close to 30 bus routes and about 40 buses. Many are older and used for after-school trips. A new bus is about $90,000 to $95,000, he added.
“We probably put more than twice the amount of miles on a bus than the average in the State of Ohio every year. So, we have to replace our buses on a rotation. This pretty much funds our bus rotation replacement,” Summers said. “We try to maintain a two-three rotation of two buses one year and three the next. That’s completely supported by our permanent improvement levy.”
River View also has several older buildings with the newest being built about 40 years ago, and some dating back more than 100 years. This means that replacement of roofs, windows, boilers, chillers and HVAC units are frequent. Windows are being replaced at Warsaw Elementary School in phases due to the cost. The first phase this year will be around $235,000. Conesville Elementary would be next for window replacement once Warsaw is done.
“The window projects have to be done, not just for efficiency, but safety as well,” Summers said. “The sooner the better, obviously. Just like in our own homes, the longer we let something go, the bigger the price tag gets on it.”
Technology has also been a major focus in the past year with students learning remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to all students in the district now using Chromebooks. The district is also looking to replace their desktop computers for about $35,000.
“When you buy laptops and computers, you have to replace them. They have about a five-year shelf life,” Summers said. “That’s where this PI levy really comes into play. If we did not have this levy on the books we would have to pull money from our general fund, which means we would have to take away from something we’re spending there.”
Summers said CARES Act funding has helped to offset some expenses, but not all regarding materials. This has included face coverings and desk barriers. While they haven’t had to dip into permanent improvement funds for those items yet, they might when CARES Act funding dries up.
Other property tax levies on the ballot:
- 1-mill replacement levy for a continuous period of time for the Village of Baltic for fire protection. It would cost a $100,000 property about $35 a year.
- 0.5-mill five-year renewal levy for Franklin Township for fire protection. It costs a $100,000 property about $13 a year. It generates approximately $44,000 annually.
- 1-mill five-year renewal levy for Oxford Township for fire protection. It costs a $100,000 property about $25 a year and generates $29,000 annually.
- 1.25-mill five-year renewal levy for Crawford Township for fire protection. It costs a $100,000 property about $32 a year and generates approximately $42,000 annually.
- 1.5-mill five-year renewal levy for Crawford Township for road improvements. It costs a $100,000 property about $38 a year and generates approximately $38,000 annually.
- 1-mill five-year additional levy for Lafayette Township for fire protection. It would cost a $100,000 property about $35 a year and generate approximately $66,000 annually.
- 2.5-mill five-year renewal levy for the Village of Warsaw for general operating expenses. It costs a $100,000 property about $67 a year and generates approximately $18,000 annually.
- 1.5 mill five-year renewal levy for the Village of Warsaw for road work. It costs a $100,000 property about $40 a year and generates approximately $11,000 annually.
@llhayhurst
740-295-3417
Read or Share this story: https://www.coshoctontribune.com/story/news/local/2020/10/18/river-view-levy-key-transportation-technology-and-maintenance/3665805001/
