Trustees board placed three renewal levies on the ballot
By AMANDA TONOLI
AUSTINTOWN
Township trustees put three renewal levies on the ballot for the March 15 primary. All are five-year levies, and they expire next year.
The levies are a 0.8-mill park levy, a 1.5-mill road levy and a 0.5-mill senior citizen service levy.
The Mahoning County Auditor’s office reported the total taxable value of the township is about $614 million.
One mill in the township is worth $614,000. Township officials said at Monday’s trustees meeting the levies stay rated at the taxable value of the township at the time they passed.
This means the park and road levies, passed in 1986 and 1976, respectively, bring in less money than recently implemented levies such as the senior levy from 2010, township officials said.
The park levy, passed in 1986, for 0.8 mills, is actually only bringing in about $294,582, or 0.48 mills.
The road levy passed in 1976, for 1.5 mills, is actually only bringing in about $842,977, or 1.37-mills.
The senior citizen service levy was passed five years ago, so it brings in $306,483, or at the same 0.5 mills.
“When inflation occurs and taxable evaluation goes up, it reduces the millage rate,” township Administrator Mike Dockry said.
Because the levies are renewals, there will be no additional taxes for township residents.
“These levies are renewals, as we have heard Austintown residents,” said Trustee Rick Stauffer, saying residents don’t want additional taxes.
Trustee Jim Davis said the board didn’t ask for any more than they thought was the minimal to get by.
“We run on what we feel we need. We don’t ask for anything more than the necessity,” Davis said.
In other news, the board approved a $50,000 advance from the general fund to the road and bridge funds.
This money is a loan and will be returned to the general fund by the end of the year.
Dockry said the loan was given to resolve a cash-flow problem and was needed to pay a bill.
Trustees also appointed Dockry to execute any documents regarding the $150,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for the next year’s road-resurfacing program.