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Austintown to replace three levies to generate more revenue
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Township officials are pursuing replacing three levies in November to bring in more money.
Those are two five-year road levies, combined at 2.5 mills but only valued at 1.0 mill now; and a five-year park levy, 0.8 mill now valued at 0.46 mill. Those have lost taxable rate due to inflation, as one was passed in 1976 and two in 1981.
Mike Dockry, the township’s administrator and road superintendent, explained that replacing the levies and bringing them back up to the full taxable rate would bring an additional $850,000 annually for the roads and $200,000 annually for the park. He expects Austintown trustees to approve the replacement levies for the November ballot at the April 27 trustee meeting.
“To me, [$200,000] is huge. I can do so much with that,” said Todd Shaffer, Austintown Parks supervisor. He said 80 percent of his budget is for employee salaries and an influx of $200,000 would help with other projects. The first project Shaffer would address if the replacement is approved this fall by voters is a new playground.
He is estimating the cost of removing the playground, replacing the gravel with a foam layered floor and installing a new set at about $57,000. In Shaffer’s three years as park supervisor, he has brought things such as the dog park and the splash pad to the township park, 6000 Kirk Road, through donations and outside funding.
“I haven’t just left things status quo,” Shaffer said. “So the residents can see that I’m using their tax money to improve the park, and I want to continue to do that. But in order to do that I need our 0.8-mill levy to actually be a 0.8-mill levy again.”
He said if the replacement is approved, resident recommendations such as an outdoor handball and racquetball court could be pursued.
Dockry said $850,000 would equal 8 miles of road paving. He recalled past conversations with residents who have called to see if certain roads would be paved each year.
“It surprised me, but many times people have said to me, ‘Well, then you need to put a road levy on or you need to raise taxes.’ Something like that. I think they say that because of the damage [potholes] can cause to their car,” Dockry said.
Austintown was able to invest $1 million into road paving last year through two $1 million payments for the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course opening. This year, the township is spending about $770,000 for paving.
“I’m not sure how big of a program we’ll be able to afford next year,” Dockry said. He acknowledged the racino $1 million payments, but explained, “at the same time, since 2010 we have lost nearly $2 million in our general fund.”
Dockry listed the state’s elimination of the personal-property tax and the estate tax as well as a reduction in the local government fund as reasons for that reduction in the general fund.