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Township officials just want to continue operation as normal
AUSTINTOWN
Township trustees ask for voters’ support March 15 to renew levies for the park department, the Austintown Senior Center and the road department.
“All we are asking is for these levies to be renewed to continue operate as they normally do,” said Township Administrator Mike Dockry.
The levies, all five-year renewals already in place, aren’t seeking any additional money contrary to the November ballot that unsuccessfully sought two levies – a 1.2-mill renewal and additional levy for park and recreational expenses; and a 2.5-mill renewal and additional levy for roads – and was successful with a 1.5-mill levy renewal and additional levy for streets, roads and bridges.
Township Trustee Rick Stauffer said all of the levies are important to the trustees to enable them to continue to run the township the way it is run now.
ROADS
Dockry said although the cost of maintaining most departments will be covered in these renewals, the road department is suffering.
“Right now, the road department doesn’t have enough money,” Dockry said. “The levy just doesn’t generate enough money.”
The levy revenue, $370,000, made up 20 percent of the road department’s budget, $1.7 million, in 2015.
Since the levy is a renewal, it will continue to make that amount, only 0.55 mills of the 1.5 mill levy. The owner of a $100,000 home will pay $17 annually on the road levy
The reduced revenue amount, to the road levy and the park levy, is due to inflation differing from the times when they were first passed – the park levy was passed in 1981, and the road levy passed in 1976.
Dockry said inflation to property values over time causes the voter rate to be reduced so that there is not an increase in revenue as the result of inflation.
However, the road department is receiving money for resurfacing from the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course through the racino payments.
An agreement promised the township $500,000 toward resurfacing before the end of 2016.
SENIOR CENTER
The senior-citizen services levy, 0.5-mill, will continue to generate $300,000 annually, if passed.
The levy generated about 80 percent of the total budget, $375,361, in 2015.
Owners of a $100,000 home pay $15.50 annually for the senior levy.
“We continue to grow,” said Jim Henshaw, Austintown Senior Center director. “I always tell kids, ‘We’re the senior center, you’ll be here some day.’”
Henshaw said he recently celebrated breaking the 1,800-member mark at the center.
Jim Davis, township trustee, said the handful of members around when the senior center opened were just pleased to have a place to go.
“They had finally found a place to congregate and do activities,” Davis said. “I had many say, ‘Before the senior center I would just sit at home with no place to go and nothing to do.’”
Henshaw said he enjoys having the opportunity to get seniors out of their homes.
Stauffer said the center is even positively affecting other areas outside Austintown.
“It [the senior center] continues to grow and have a great influence not only in this area, but surrounding areas,” Stauffer said. “It grows to be one of the largest now probably in the state of Ohio and certainly one of the most influential in this area for activities for seniors.”
PARKS
Other growth for Austintown can be found in Austintown Township Park, which added a splash pad in 2013, a nonprofit farmers market and many other programs and equipment.
The total budget for the park department in 2015, $490,000, was made up of 60 percent levy money, $290,000. Owners of a $100,000 home pay $14.25 annually for the park levy.
The 0.8-mill park levy also brings in a fraction of its millage, 0.46 mills, due to the inflation rate Dockry mentioned previously.