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Pickerington voters to see school levy this fall
(by Anne Holmes, staff writer - July 23, 2010)
By unanimous vote at the July 20 meeting, the Pickerington School Board agreed to place a 6.84-mil replacement levy on the fall ballot
Treasurer Dan Griscom said this is a replacement levy, not a new levy. It is replacing an 8-mil levy that was passed in 1977.
“Over the past 33 years, that 8-mil has declined in reality to only 1.16 mils a year because of tax reduction factors since 1977,” Griscom said.
Tax reduction factors were put in place by the state to guarantee that property owners’ tax liability did not increase because the value of their property increased.
At the time, the economy was in recession and the measure was intended to protect taxpayers.
The replacement levy is asking for 6.84 mils to return the amount collected to the 8 mils originally approved by voters.
The district receives approximately $1.4 million a year with the current collection.
“With the replacement levy, we will collect $8.98 million a year,” Griscom said, which is what the 8-mil levy was intended to provide.
The continuous levy will cost a homeowner per $100,000 valuation of the property $209.53 a year.
“We are doing this now because we have been hit hard with state budget cuts,” Griscom said. “We have to balance our budget with what we have. We are asking for what we need right now. If this levy does not pass the district will be at a deficit in fiscal year 2012.”
The fiscal year for the state and district is July 1 through June 30. Therefore, the money needs to be in place by July 2011 to prevent budget deficits.
“The decision was made so quickly because the district received instructions that they needed to provide 90-day notice, instead of the 75 days required previously, of the intention to place a levy on the ballot,” said Lee Cole, communications director for the district. “At this time no plans have been formulated for what cuts will be made if the levy does not pass.”
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