COLUMBIANA COUNTY Lisbon, Beaver seek school levies

Beaver officials want renewal of a five-year emergency levy.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A 400-meter all-weather track, upgraded restrooms and better concession stands are among the improvements planned at War Memorial Stadium if Lisbon School District residents approve a 2.9-mill permanent improvement levy.
Superintendent Don Thompson said the levy would be continuing and generate about $200,000 a year. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $88 a year, he said.
Levy proceeds will pay for equipment or facilities with a life span of five years or more and can be used to buy land, Thompson said. He said revenue from a such a levy cannot be used for operating expenses such as salaries.
He said once the various improvements at the stadium are completed, the revenue would then be used for maintenance.
Stadium plans
War Memorial Stadium was built in 1946, and there have been no major improvements since then, Thompson said.
He said renovation of the restrooms is the first priority, followed by improvements to the concession stands.
"The concessions are run by the sophomores and juniors to raise money for proms," Thompson said. "Most of the parents have worked there, and they know the conditions. They work with what they have. Sometimes there is little to no running water. Plugging in a coffee pot and then something else will trip a breaker."
Additionally, more land is needed around the stadium for parking, which Thompson said "is always at a premium."
Thompson said school officials want to make the stadium accessible for use not only by Lisbon and visiting sports teams, but the community as well. There are plans for new locker rooms with team meeting rooms, a separate locker room for girls and a weight room.
A 400-meter, all-weather track would replace a shorter, cinder-based track around the football field, and would be available for community use as an exercise track.
Thompson said a band shelter could also be added to stadium seating, but there are no plans to add bleacher seating on the east side of the football field. Stadium seating capacity is about 2,600, he said.
Beaver levy
Beaver school officials are hoping voters will let them keep a tax levy that has been in effect for 10 years.
Beaver district residents will vote on a 6-mill, five-year levy on the March 2 ballot.
The levy generates about $1.2 million each year. The revenue is used for day-to-day operation of the district.
Treasurer Robert Barrett emphasized that residents will not see an increase in taxes if they pass the levy.
"This is a five-year emergency levy, and it is a renewal," Barrett said.
Barrett said school officials can put the levy on the ballot three times before the taxes would come off the books.
He didn't want to speculate about what cost-cutting measures the board might consider if the funding is lost.
"We're going to be optimistic," he said.