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Poland has reading for two 2-mill levies
POLAND
Village council had a first reading this week of ordinances for a 2-mill renewal levy and a 2-mill additional levy.
Council unanimously approved the first reading of the renewal levy Tuesday. Council President Joe Mazur was the only dissenting vote in the first reading of the additional levy.
The 2-mill renewal levy generates $109,515 annually for the village’s general fund and costs the owner of a $100,000-valued home $58.71 annually, according the Mahoning County auditor’s office.
The 2-mill additional levy is expected to cost the owner of a $100,000-valued home $61.25 annually and generate $114,848 annually for the village’s general fund.
Mazur said he opposes asking residents for additional tax dollars when the village had the chance to generate at least $1 million by leasing the mineral rights for village-owned land, which mostly is contained in the 265-acre Poland Municipal Forest.
“We had a chance to get millions of dollars,” Mazur said, adding that one proposed lease- contract offered a $5,000- per-acre signing bonus.
Although Mazur said he wants to revisit the idea of leasing rights, the rest of council does not and referred to legal opinions received early this year.
In March, village Solicitor Anthony D’Apolito and an outside law firm said if council leased the mineral rights of the forest to oil and natural-gas companies, it would violate terms of the forest’s deed.
Mayor Tim Sicafuse said there’s still time for discussion about the additional levy because council must have three readings of an ordinance.
“We need three readings, so that will take us to the middle of July,” Sicafuse said.
In other business, council:
Agreed to purchase a leaf machine at a cost of about $18,000. Mazur said the Mahoning County Green Team provided a $4,000 grant to the village this year and is expected to do so again in 2013 and 2014. That money will go toward the leaf-machine purchase.
Heard an update that the Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 has advertised for bids to install a traffic light at U.S. Route 224 and Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the post office. The project is expected to be completed Nov. 16.