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    • Central Ohio school district levies face hurdles from tax value spikes
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    Central Ohio school district levies face hurdles from tax value spikes

    Pabio Posted on

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    With less than a week until the November general election, can central Ohio districts reverse the trend of recent elections and successfully pass school taxes?

    Central Ohio has 10 levies on the ballot this year, including bond issues to fund school construction or improvements, particularly in fast-growing suburban districts like local schools in New Albany-Plains and Buckeye Valley. The Dispatch previously reported. However, some levies are requested by school districts because they need regular operating expenses and are at risk of being reduced if they fail.

    School levies in recent cycles have struggled to receive voter approval, with all local levies fail in the March 2024 primaryand only one a handful of candidates for the November 2023 elections. Voter appetite for support for local levies appears to have diminished in recent election cycles between now and 2023. real estate revaluations throughout the regionwhich led to a surge in real estate values ​​in much of Franklin and neighboring counties.

    So, how will the samples take place next week?

    Supporters of local levies expect close elections

    Some supporters of local levies predict a close election next Tuesday. For example, in Marysville’s exempt village district, the local levy board expects a close race as the district aims to secure emergency funding to close a budget shortfall that has already led to budget cuts.

    Marysville, which had not placed a levy on the ballot in 16 years, is seeking an emergency levy to operate 5.5 plants for 10 years, or $193 for every $100,000 of assessed value. Last year, voters rejected a similar levy 56% to 44%.which led to reductions to kindergarten programs, staff and more.

    Steve Cox, a volunteer on the levy committee, said he sees the election results this time as “very close.”

    “I’d like to tell you we’re going to have a landslide victory, but I think it’s going to be very close,” Cox said.

    The levy committee, Cox said, focused on identifying voters in favor of the levy and encouraging them to vote. He said he hoped a general election with turnout of up to 60% would be favorable to the levy effort.

    “Last time we were on the ballot, we were the only thing – there was nothing else – it was the only thing,” Cox said.

    In Hilliard City Schools, the district is seeking a combined bond and levy to build new schools and renovate old ones, as well as to cover district operating expenses.

    Hilliard Schools is seeking a 30-year, 1.84 million bond drawdown that would generate $142 million to create three new elementary schools and a sixth-grade complex, costing owners $64 for every $100,000 of estimated value. The permanent levy of 6.9 million would apply over a rolling period and be used to fund operating expenses and cost taxpayers $242 for every $100,000 of property value.

    Hilliard Superintendent David Stewart said he is optimistic that voters will be adequately informed about the levy when they go to vote Tuesday, and he hopes the district will be able to “invest $142 million in the local economy.

    “We had an army of community volunteers who formed a campaign committee, and they did an incredible job educating our community,” Stewart said. “We have to keep putting our heads down and doing the work until next Tuesday and then have confidence in the result.”

    Madison-Plains Local Schools will return to voters next week to ask for another reduced bond issue after three failed attempts. The current request of 4.3 million is significantly lower than the initial request of 9.9 million proposed by the district in May 2023.

    Superintendent Chad Eisler said the district has listened to the community and is no longer trying to build a K-12 building to replace its aging complex currently housing all grades, but will instead seek a new K-8 building.

    “Bond issues often pose a challenge for school districts because economic factors such as the cost of goods and other tax increases play a role in how communities view the opportunity to pay more in taxes,” Eisler said in an email.

    Some area school taxes also face opposition. For example, Westerville City Schools has seen strong opposition to their levy from some community members.

    “I think there are a lot of frustrated residents”

    Westerville schools are looking for a combined issue of levies and bonds. The 37-year bond issue would cost $1.66 million and generate $140 million for school construction and improvements. which would cost homeowners paying $58 for every $100,000 of property value. The additional tax levy would be 4.9 million for a continuous period. and would cost the property $172 for every $100,000 of property value if approved.

    Doug Krinsky, who leads the group “Westerville Levy Concerns,” said he opposed the levy because he was unhappy with how the district is using the money it currently has, noting that the district transfers money from the general operating fund to a capital expenditure fund.

    He also said many residents are struggling with recent property assessments and a number of other ballot levies during this election cycle and in recent years.

    “I think a lot of residents are frustrated,” Krinsky said. “I think we’re going to find out a lot in this election, what people have an appetite for and what they don’t, where they prioritize their money and who are good stewards of our money .”

    Some local levies face high stakes and potential cuts

    Some central Ohio public schools could face job cuts and service reductions if their levies fail, including in districts like Marysville, Hilliard, Bexley And Reynoldsburg.

    Stewart said if the Hilliard levy fails, the district could face a reduction of up to 100 positions. The neighborhood has published an emergency plan highlighting the impacts if their collection fails.

    “I remain optimistic, but yes, I admit there is also a greater sense of pressure that comes with it,” Stewart said.

    Cox said the consequences of another failed levy in Marysville could have far-reaching implications for the community. He said he understands there are concerns about growth in Marysville and Union County, but said the community should not “go after our children or take our children away from them, because we have this anti-growth sentiment.”

    “I think the consequences will be generational,” Cox said. “If this tax fails…we’re going to lose a lot of really good teachers, and I firmly believe it would take a generation to overcome that.”

    How can levies in central Ohio succeed?

    Nicole Piscitani, director of legislative services for the Ohio School Boards Association, said renewal levies tend to be easier to adopt than new money levies. She also said it’s important for precincts to be able to communicate about the type of levy and its impact on voters.

    She also noted that general elections tend to see a number of competing levies on the ballot for schools, libraries, municipal services and others.

    “I think sometimes there’s just a little bit of voter fatigue when they’re asked to make decisions on multiple levies, not one at a time,” Piscitani said.

    Karen Beard, a professor at Ohio State University who studies school taxes, said what appears to impact the adoption of a tax is public trust and effective two-way communication.

    “I know a lot of people say, ‘Oh, the economy. You’re never going to pass a levy. The economy is bad,'” Beard said. “The economy is part of it – it’s a factor, no doubt. But what really seems to matter is public trust.”

    Beard said trust must be in the “DNA of the district at every level” and that the district must show that it is operating in good faith, trustworthy and competent.

    “If you’re an administrator and you’re thinking about building trust, because it’s a levy year, you’re already behind schedule,” Beard said.

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