The village of Groveport continues to share its income tax wealth with Groveport Madison Local Schools in the form of an income tax revenue sharing check for $521,722.
The check represents income tax revenue received during the first half of 2007.
Since 1999, the village has presented income tax revenue sharing checks totaling more than $4.5 million to the school district. The village delivers the income tax revenue sharing checks twice a year to Groveport Madison. Here are the total amounts the village has presented to the school district over the years:
•1999: $70,163
•2000: $100,643
•2001: $223,215
•2002: $549,393
•2003: $703,920
•2004: $462,360
•2005: $445,195
•2006: $641,319
•2007: $854,468
•2008: $521,722 (second payment will come later this year)
According to village officials, the payment is made to the school district as a result of the Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) tax exemptions that are granted by the village. In a municipality with an income tax, any project in a CRA which will generate a new annual payroll of $1 million or more, the income tax revenues generated by the new employees is split 50/50 between the municipality and the board of education.
Groveport Madison places the income tax revenue sharing funds in the school district’s permanent improvement fund to be used for capital projects.
In addition to the income tax revenue sharing checks, Groveport Finance Director Ken Salak noted the school district also benefits from commercial development in the village in another way.
"The only tax abatements are on buildings, not on the increased value of the land," said Salak.
He explained that when the land was open farm land its tax value was lower than after it was developed. After development occurs, the tax value rises and the school district receives its share of increased tax revenue from the increased value of the land.
Groveport financial news
•The village’s May 2008 income tax revenue was $573,615, which is $60,575 greater than the same period last year. For 2008, income tax collections are up $1.2 million, or 26 percent, compared to 2007 and $1.054 million, or 21 percent, above projected collections.
•Council had requested that staff look into the possibility of moving the Lesleh Avenue reconstruction project ahead a year. Currently the Lesleh Avenue project is scheduled for design work, at a cost of $110,000, in 2009 with construction of the $805,000 project in 2010.
Salak told council that, upon review, there is not enough funding budgeted in the capital improvement fund this year to do the project a year earlier.
Village officials will look at the project again during budget talks in the fall to see if its start date can be moved up.
Other Groveport news
•Mayor Lance Westcamp reported he received 22 applications for the open village administrator position. He is now reviewing the candidates and said he does not have a timetable set yet to name the new administrator.
•School Resource Officer Chris Gyke updated his year end report. He reported that in May there were 34 fights/assaults/disturbances at Groveport Madison High School. In May 2007 there were 18 such incidents.
According to Groveport Police statistics, there have been 273 fights/assaults/disturbances at the high school in the 2007-08 school year. This is an increase over the entire 2006-07 school year when there were 150 such incidents recorded.
•Councilman Ed Rarey said he has noticed an increase in speeders on Wirt Road and asked Groveport Police Chief Gary York to monitor the situation.
