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Austintown residents face renewal levy; no additional taxes
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Township officials on Monday approved putting a renewal levy on November’s ballot.
Township Administrator Michael Dockry said this is a renewal of an existing levy and will not be an additional tax on township residents. The levy is 0.6 mill, but is now valued at about 0.21 mill and is to generate $125,285 for the township’s general fund. It costs the owner of a $100,000 home $6.50 per year.
The matter will be before Austintown voters on the Nov. 4 ballot.
“This is a renewal that was originally passed at 0.6 mill. ... The effective rate of that levy is now below 0.3 mill. It’s lost more than half of its value,” Dockry said.
Dockry explained that the levy has lost value due to inflation since it was passed in 1976.
He wrote in an email: “The reason the voted rate of 0.6 [mill] reduces is because of inflation over the years ... this is done to keep the total revenue collected the same as when the levy originally passed.”
Township officials, including Trustees Jim Davis and Lisa Oles, spoke about last Saturday’s ceremony at the township park dedicating the main baseball field in the name of Wally Bell. Bell was a Major League Baseball umpire and died of a heart attack in October.
“It’s a nice way to truly honor” Wally Bell, Davis said.
Another list of nuisances was approved by the trustees, mostly for yards with high grass. Oles said Monday’s totals put the township “well over 150 properties that Austintown is taking care of.” She also urged residents to be patient as crews work to cut grass during “this unusual wet weather.”
Resident Rosemary Jones attended the meeting to talk about the Parole Officer and Sigma Chi Eddie Cantor 2nd Annual Memorial Scholarship Golf Outing on Sept. 20. It will be at Knoll Run Golf Course in Lowellville, and registration begins at 8 a.m. The cost is $65 per person, including golf, a cart, food and skill contests.
Her son, Cantor, died five years ago and was a parole officer. The funds raised are put into Youngstown State University’s scholarship fund and gives scholarship money to criminal-justice students.
“It’s in honor of my son who tried to help so many people,” Jones said. For more information, contact Jones at 330-507-4147.
Trustee Ken Carano was absent from the meeting due to vacation.