By Tara Figurski
Staff Writer
Voters defeated a .75-mill, operating levy for Truro Township on May 6.
There were 1,106 votes for the levy (35 percent) and 2,014 votes against the levy (65 percent).
The levy, if it had been approved, would have cost the owner of $100,000 home an additional $26.25 a year in taxes, according to township officials.
Revenue generated from the levy was needed to fund finances in the township, with the exception of specially designated funds like cemetery and fire, according to Truro Township Administrator Jason Nicodemus. The revenue was needed to offset reductions in local government funds.
“We will have to make deeper cuts,” said Truro Township trustee Barbara Strussion. “Operational is just as important as every other department. If you can’t have funds it affects everything else.”
Strussion said the zoo levy on the May 6 ballot may have put people in a negative mood. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium requested a 1.25-mill property tax that was rejected by Franklin County voters by 70 to 30 percent.
“I understand people have circumstances,” she said. “We still need to govern and run the township. It’s back to the drawing board.”
Nicodemus said the township will need to regroup and discuss what the next options are. He said his plan is to meet with elected officials and management to determine how to proceed next.
“At this given time it is less than 24 hours since the election,” Nicodemus said. “We have not really gotten together yet. We are still letting it soak in for a second.”
It is difficult to predict how an election will turn out, but officials were positive throughout the campaign process. There was a greater effort to educate voters this time with volunteers distributing levy information postcards.
“The cards that were sent were given for information, but also to (serve) as a reminder for people to go and vote,” said Nicodemus. “They were hand delivered to voters in our area.”
Nicodemus said there was a good turnout of voters who cast their vote the best way they deemed.
“Our ultimate goal was to get passage,” Nicodemus said. “When it gets voted down, you rethink a few things and work on the next piece.”
