School board advised to put levy back on the ballot

School board advised to put levy back on the ballot

YOUNGSTOWN — The chairman of the state fiscal oversight commission controlling city school district finances has advised the school board to put the 9.5-mill levy rejected by voters Tuesday back on the ballot in March.

“The need for additional revenue to the district is not going to go away,” said Roger Nehls, during a meeting of the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission today.

Voters have now turned down the levy twice, by a margin of 2,000 votes a year ago and 1,800 votes this week.

Youngstown, which ended last year with a $15 million budget deficit, has made substantial cuts in spending but now the cuts will be “even deeper” because the district isn’t getting the anticipated $5 million in annual revenue the levy would produce, Nehls said.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.