Portage County voters by and large supported renewal and replacement levy efforts in the Nov. 5 election. Every one on the ballot passed, according to final unofficial numbers provided by the Portage County Board of Elections.
Additional levies, which would have raised new funds, didn’t fare as well. A Ravenna City School District levy failed, as did one for the Community Emergency Medical Services District. Aurora City School District’s bond issue was also voted down. Read on for details in each race.
City, village and township levies – new
“Additional” levies have not been collected before and will mean new taxes for property owners and new revenue for the entity seeking the levy.
Charlestown Township was seeking a levy to support its fire and emergency medical services. The 5-mill levy passed 405 to 346.
There was also a 2-mill additional tax levy for the Community Emergency Medical Services District, which serves Garrettsville Village, Freedom Township and Nelson Township, on the ballot. That failed, 2,096 against and 1,781 in favor.
City, village and township levies – renewals and replacements
Renewal levies, if passed, extend an existing levy and are collected at the originally passed rate. There were five of these levies on the ballot in Portage County.
- Kent had a 1.16-mill renewal levy on the ballot for current expenses, which passed 5,675 to 2,976.
- Atwater Township was seeking a 2.25-mill renewal levy for its fire and emergency medical services. That passed 790 to 482.
- Brimfield Township was seeking a 1.7-mill renewal tax levy for emergency medical services. That renewal passed 3,661 to 2,368.
- Charlestown Township’s 1.5-mill renewal tax levy for its fire and emergency medical services passed 502 to 206.
- And Suffield Township was seeking a 1-mill renewal levy for roads and bridges, which passed 1,870 to 1,487.
Replacement levies aim to replace an existing levy at a new collection rate. There were five of these on the ballot, too.
- Hiram Village had a 2-mill replacement levy for its emergency medical services. That passed 181 to 60.
- Hiram Township had two, 3-mill replacement tax levies on the ballot: one for its emergency medical services and one for its roads and bridges. The EMS levy passed 870 to 637. The unofficial numbers show the roads and bridges levy passing, too, but by the thinnest of margins: 748 to 747. Elections officials often caution that the unofficial counts could be updated when the results are officially certified.
- Franklin Township had a 3.5-mill replacement and increase on the mill for its fire and emergency medical services. That passed 2,075 to 1,053.
- In Rootstown Township, there was a 1.3-mill replacement tax levy for its fire and emergency medical services, which passed 2,699 to 1,803.
The Mantua Shalersville Fire District also had a 2.25-mill replacement tax levy on the ballot for its fire and emergency medical services. That passed, 3,298 to 2,249. And Portage County Job and Family Services’ 1.24-mill replacement and combination levy for the “care, placement and treatment of abused, neglected and dependent children” passed, 42,619 to 34,323.
School district levies – new
There were two additional tax levies on the ballot for school districts in Portage County. The Ravenna City School District was seeking an 8.31 mill-levy for “emergency requirements.” That levy failed, as 4,638 people voted against it and 3,886 voted for it.
And Mogadore Local School District — which is split between Portage and Summit counties — had a 5.9-mill levy on the ballot for current expenses. Portage County voters voted against the levy, with 454 against and 339 for; Summit County also voted against the levy with 787 against and 678 for.
Additionally, the Aurora City School District was seeking a 7.57-mill bond issue for school improvements. A bond issue isn’t a levy on property values; instead, the entity receives the money upfront and taxpayers pay it back over time. This one was priced at $136,356,400 for 37 years. The bond issue failed, with 4,382 people voting for it and 5,867 voting against it.
School district levies – renewals and replacements
The Streetsboro City School District had two renewal tax levies on the ballot, both for current expenses. One was for 3.5 mills and the other was for 3.9 mills. Both passed. The 3.5-mill levy passed 4,537 to 3,946, and the 3.9-mill one passed 4,378 to 4,059.
