Most voters will see at least one fall tax issue

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Voters in most of Delaware County precincts will have at least one tax issue to decide on Nov. 3.

The Delaware Area Career Center, which covers 124 of the county’s 143 precincts, will seek the renewal of 10-year, 1.7-mill levy to cover operating expenses.

If approved, the levy will raise $7.1 million annually for the vocational school district and cost a property owner with a $100,000 valuation $40.37 each year, according to the Delaware County Auditor’s Office.

The levy was last approved in 2005 by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin.

Orange Township

Voters in 23 precincts will decide the fate of an Orange Township fire levy.

The three-year, 7-mill levy is a decrease from the current rate of 7.5 mills.

The current collection rate of 7.5-mills was approved in a February special election after a similar proposal was unexpectedly defeated in November 2012, which forced the department to take out a loan to cover operating expenses.

If approved, the levy will raise $7.5 million annually and cost a property owner with a $100,000 valuation $214.38 each year, according to the county Auditor’s Office.

Dating back to 1992, township voters have approved eight of nine fire levy requests.

Buckeye Valley

Buckeye Valley Local Schools will once again try to address its elementary facilities with yet another bond issue on the ballot.

Voters will decide the fate of a 30-year, 3.1-mill bond issue. The bond measure, if approved, will raise $31.3 million and cost a property owner with a $100,000 valuation $108.50 annually.

If approved, the bond issue would pay for the construction of two new elementary buildings — one in Ashley and another at a to-be-determined location on the west side of the district — the purchase of land and the demolition of the three existing elementary facilities in Ashley, Ostrander and Radnor. The latter school closed in 2012 due to budget constraints.

The district’s newest elementary school was built in 1947, although additions have been made to each since that time. Maintenance and repair costs are starting to accumulate in the aging buildings that lack the infrastructure to handle all of today’s modern technology and air-conditioning.

District voters have rejected 15 tax measures since 1990, including a bond issue last fall that would have paid for the renovation of elementary facilities in Ashley, Ostrander and Radnor.

Ashley

Voters in the village’s one precinct will be tasked with deciding the fate of a renewal of a five-year, 3-mill tax levy.

If approved, the measure will raise $37,538 annually and cost a property owner with a $100,000 valuation $91.88 each year.

Village voters have approved road levies five times since 1990.

Oxford Township

Oxford Township voters will be faced with the question of whether to approve a five-year, 0.6-mill replacement levy to cover operating expenses.

If approved, the measure will raise $20,183 each year and cost property owners with a $100,000 valuation $21 annually.

Powell

While not a tax issue, Powell voters will once again have a referendum on their ballots to stop a high-density development in the city.

The referendum could overturn the zoning that was approved to make way for a 47-unit condominium development at the site of the former Powder Room shooting range.

However, the Delaware County Board of Elections has scheduled a Monday meeting to hear a protest to the ballot measure.

Genoa Township

Voters in Genoa Township will be faced with separate issues to aggregate electric and natural gas purchases.

If approved, the measure would allow township residents to voluntarily pool their purchasing power for cheaper rates on the utilities.

By Dustin Ensinger

[email protected]

Dustin Ensinger can be reached at 740-413-0902 or on Twitter @EnsingerDG.

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