Thursday, July 21, 2005
Replacement levies would mean increased revenue.
By MONICA BOND
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The Trumbull County Children Services Board will ask county commissioners to put two replacement levies on the November ballot.
The board this week authorized its executive director, Robert Kubiak, to set the process in motion.
Kubiak said he will write to commissioners, and stressed that the board will not increase the millage of its levies.
Children Services has two levies, passed in the 1970s and '80s. Both have been successfully renewed by voters several times.
"Both are standard levies for Children Services operations," he said.
The two levies are 0.8 mills and 2 mills. Last year they generated about $6.3 million, Kubiak said.
"That's more than 50 percent of our annual revenue," he said.
Increasing collection
Kubiak said the levies' millage has not been increased in almost 20 years and, because of this, both are bringing in tax revenue at a reduced rate.
The replacement levies will be for 10 years, Kubiak said. He said the dollar amount the new levies would generate will depend on the millage approved by the county commissioners, and declined to speculate.
Replacement levies mean the millage will be the same, but the levies will collect more money -- since property values have risen since the levies were originally approved.
Renewal levies, by contrast, would keep the revenue the same, and millage would be less if property values went up.
Replacement levies will not increase the mills, but will increase the money generated, Kubiak said.