Five levies in front of Austintown voters Nov. 3

October 12, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

By ROBERT CONNELLY

AUSTINTOWN

Five tax levies – three township levies and two school renewals – are in front of township voters this November.

Township residents will have a 0.8-mill park levy in front of them. An addition of 0.4-mill, to bring the assessed value back to 0.8-mill, would provide an additional $235,000 annually. Austintown Parks supervisor Todd Shaffer has said that if approved, he would pursue a new playground project estimated at $57,000.

The two road levies would be for 1 mill and 1.5 mills. Mike Dockry, township administrator and road superintendent, has said that the additional 0.5 mill and 1 mill would bring in an additional $850,000 annually for road work, or equal to 8 miles of paving.

Owners of a $100,000 home currently pay $14 a year for the park levy and $31 combined for the two road levies each year. If approved, the park levy would then cost those same homeowners $28 a year, while the road levies would then cost those homeowners $52 a year. Austintown schools’ officials emphasize that its two renewal levies mean no new taxes.

A five-year, 4.9-mill renewal levy first was passed in 1991 and collected $1,763,752 in calendar year 2015. A five-year, 7.3-mill renewal levy was first passed in 1996 and collected $3,157,297 in calendar year 2015.

An owner of a $100,000 home, before rollback deductions, pays $181.58 annually on the 7.3-mill school levy and $99.71 yearly on the 4.9-mill school levy.

roads

“The need for this levy is because of the resurfacing needs out there, and that easily 90 percent of this money is going to go toward resurfacing,” Dockry said. “In addition to the [two last] harsh winters, back in 2003 and 2012 – because of the lack of funds – we did no resurfacing.

“So we’re still trying to catch up from skipping those two years plus the damage those two winters have done to the roads.”

Dockry also pointed out that the township has spent $1.75 million in the past two years on resurfacing. That, however, was done because of the influx of two $1 million payments from Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course moving into town.

Dockry said due to additions made over recent years to the township park, specifically the dog park and splash pad, the park “requires more maintenance,” he said.

“The level of activities we have out there, especially on weeks and ... during the summer time, has just increased dramatically, so we need our park people out there when there’s activities out there like that.”

Shaffer, supervisor of the parks, echoed Dockry, and said since the levy’s inception in 1986, the park has added 123 acres to its main park, 6000 Kirk Road.

Shaffer also oversees five smaller neighborhood parks.

“With no increase in money, I’ve gone from the department used to have six fulltime employees and one parttime. We now have three fulltime and one parttime, so I think we’ve shown we’re doing what John Q. Public wants – doing more with less,” Shaffer said.

“But we’re at the point where it’s not going to cut it anymore.”

In addition to the splash pad and dog park, two tennis courts were added, paid for by Austintown schools. The schools paid for those courts since its teams will play on them, and the township will pay for maintenance of the courts.

Shaffer encouraged anyone with questions about the park levy to call him at his office, 330-793-0718.

SCHOOL LEVIES

Austintown schools Superintendent Vincent Colaluca said he hasn’t heard from residents about the tax renewals but believes that is because the community believes the district “spends the money wisely. This is money that’s been in the district since 1991 and 1996. The district can’t operate without those” dollars.

“We’re not asking for new money; we’re just asking for the community to” support us, he said.