Voters approve 911, other levies

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Delaware County residents approved the renewal of a .45-mill 911 levy Tuesday.

The levy is an increase of 0.18 mills to bring the total to 0.63 mills. Before officials were able to present the levy to county commissioners to approve the levy being placed on the ballot an issue of “double taxation” needed corrected.

Parts of Columbus, Dublin and Westerville are in Delaware County, but are served by each of the municipalities’ 911 services and would have been taxed again for the county’s service.

Members of the 911 board could not be reached for comment.

Delaware County 911 levy results:

• For the Tax Levy … … . . 50,819

• Against the Tax Levy… … . 35,387

The 0.18-mill addition will generate $1,097,900 per year. A homeowner with a $100,000 market-value home currently pays $13.18 in taxes per year for the current levy. The 0.18-mill increase on the levy will cost that homeowner an additional $6.30 per year, County Auditor George Kaitsa said previously.

In other results:

• Orange Township residents approved the 1-mill parks levy and a new roads improvement levy at 0.5 mills on Tuesday. Township trustees created the .5-mill roads improvement levy by reducing the current 1.5-mill park levy due to expire this December.

Wednesday morning Orange Township Trustee Debbie Taranto said that doing more without raising taxes was good common sense.

“We have a great hometown with great residents who care. This will help keep up the infrastructure and we’ll be able to continue a healthy lifestyle at a low cost,” she said. “I’m proud of Orange Township.”

Trustee Rob Quigley said he thought passing the parks renewal and the roads levy was a move in the right direction.

“We need to maintain the standard we have all grown to expect,” he said. “Part of that is having parks and trails to enjoy and at the same time ensuring our roads are adequately maintained improving the infrastructure to secure everyone’s investment in the community.”

​Trustee Lisa Knapp said she was “actually excited now” about the levies passing on Tuesday.

“We should now be able to complete many outstanding parks projects as well as complete twice the amount of road repairs each year,” she said. “No longer can the excuse be made that we just don’t have the money.”

Results for Orange Township’s 1-mill, 3-year, parks renewal levy:

• For the Tax Levy … … . . 9,710

• Against the Tax Levy… … . 5,081

Results for Orange Township’s new .5-mill, 3-year, roads and bridge improvement levy:

• For the Tax Levy … … . . 9,075

• Against the Tax Levy… … . 5,689

Orange Township officials said the 1-mill park levy renewal will yield $1.1 million per year, while the new 0.5-mill road levy will produce $579,000 per year.

• Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board had a 1-mil, 5-year renewal levy approved by both Delaware and Marrow County voters Tuesday.

Steve Hedge, executive director of the board, said Wednesday, the renewal of the levy shows the “tremendous support of the community.”

“We’re very excited about it,” he said. “We’re very appreciative of the community for the support and passage of our renewal.”

• Results from the Delaware County Board of Election on the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board tax renewal of a 5-year 1 mill levy:

• For the Tax Levy … … . . 64,273

• Against the Tax Levy… … . 33,744

According to Hedge, the combined total vote percentage in favor of the levy in both Delaware and Marrow counties was 64 percent.

Hedge reported earlier the levy makes up 84 percent of the board’s budget and amounts to $0.10 for each $100 of valuation. He said the 1-mill has not changed since 1986.

By D. Anthony Botkin

[email protected]

D. Anthony Botkin may be reached at 740-413-0902 or on Twitter @dabotkin.

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