Is building a countywide outdoor siren system worth a one-year property tax increase? Voters will decide that question this Election Day.

A 0.4-mill construction levy would cost taxpayers about $12 per $100,000 of home value and raise about $2.5 million, and an accompanying 0.1-mill maintenance levy would cost about $3 per $100,000 of house value and raise about $625,000. Both are one-year levies.

The maintenance levy will not include the words “siren” or “maintenance” due to a ruling by the Ohio Secretary of State. However, Delaware County commissioners have issued an official promise that the money will only be used for siren maintenance.

Together, the levies would raise $3.1 million.

Township trustees from southern Delaware County have encouraged county commissioners to place the issue on the ballot.

Genoa Township Trustee Gerry Cotter, one of the system’s vocal proponents, said the one-year levy would be a worthwhile safety investment for taxpayers and would provide comprehensive siren coverage throughout the county.

The county already has a reverse-911 program in place, but the computerized system can only call 1,000 numbers a minute, she said.

“To call the entire county would require more than an hour, and when there’s an emergency situation we need to let people know immediately … so they can find out what’s going on and take the appropriate action,” Cotter said.

The sirens would sound in the event of tornadoes and other weather events, as well as chemical spills or terrorist attacks.

If passed, the construction levy would also be used to acquire and integrate sirens already operating in Delaware city, Sunbury, Galena and Scioto Township. This is being done to try and address residents’ concerns that they would be “taxed twice” for systems their communities have already built.

The maintenance levy funds would be used to pay for the electric bill for the sirens, as well as replace the system’s batteries over the next ten years.

If the construction levy passes but the maintenance levy doesn’t, the commissioners have said they would find another way to pay for it. However, if the opposite happens, the commissioners will likely rescind the maintenance levy.

atobias@delgazette.com