Meanwhile, voters in Enon village will decide on a requested tax increase for police services, and New Carlisle city voters must weigh three separate votes on changes to the city charter.
Clark-Shawnee school levy
Voters in the Clark-Shawnee school district will decide whether to approve or reject a new school income tax levy in a district that has only had property tax levies so far.
The May 6 ballot measure is a new five-year, 1% earned income tax to pay for regular operating expenses. It would only apply to earned income such as salary, self employment, wages and tips, not pension, social security, disability or unemployment funds.
For a resident with $50,000 in annual taxable income, a 1% income tax would cost $500 per year.
Superintendent Brian Kuhn cited the district’s deficit spending in recent years as the reason the levy is needed.
Greenon school levy
Greenon school officials are asking voters to approve a similar, but slightly larger property tax levy than the one they strongly rejected in November.
The new request is for a five-year, 2.78-mill, additional tax levy for permanent improvements (facilities work). Last fall, voters rejected a similar 1.99-mill levy by a 64-36 ratio.
Superintendent Darrin Knapke said the tax money would fund the construction of a new transportation facility, a multipurpose room at the athletic facility and the finishing of the “white space” of the K-6 elementary building, along with a few other small projects.
Knapke said the district added more projects in this levy request to address community feedback.
Tecumseh school levy
The Tecumseh school district put a simpler $2 million renewal tax levy on the May ballot, after voters rejected a substitute levy in November that would have combined this levy with another.
The property tax levy will be listed on the ballot as a five-year, 7-mill renewal of an emergency levy for operating expenses.
Voters rejected November’s substitute levy idea with 59% voting against it.
Northeastern school levy
Northeastern schools are asking voters to renew an existing 1% school income tax for another 10 years, to pay for regular school operating expenses.
Renewal levies, which keep tax rates the same but extend them for more years into the future, usually pass. But in November, Northeastern voters rejected this same renewal levy by a 15% margin — 57.3% no and 42.7% yes.
Enon police levy
The Village of Enon is asking for a 5-year, 1.75-mill, additional police levy. Mayor Timothy Howard said the village has had three police levies at 2.5 mills, but one of those “slipped through the cracks” and paperwork was not filed in time.
He said that means voters will get a break in 2025. If the new levy passes, the village will see the same benefit as previously with updated valuation.
Howard said the levy supports “all aspects” of the police department, including salaries, equipment and capital payments.
“We just hope people that understand the situation will vote yes for this particular levy to get us back up to where we were previously,” Howard said.
New Carlisle charter issues
New Carlisle residents will cast three separate votes on charter amendments in the May election.
The vote on Sections 6.05-6.06 is on whether to add and clarify language stating that the fire administrator and the director of public service are appointed and terminated by the city manager with consent of city council.
The vote on Section 5.02 is on whether to add language stating that a resolution of council may be used to ratify a contract or agreement, but that an ordinance of council is needed to ratify a franchise.
The vote on Section 9.01 is on whether to remove language requiring that each copy of a petition to run for office contain the signature of the candidate and a statement indicating acceptance of the nomination and willingness to accept the office if elected.
Three township levies
• Pleasant Twp. in northeastern Clark County, is asking voters to approve a tax increase. The five-year, 2-mill tax levy would pay for fire/EMS services.
• Madison Twp. in southeast Clark County is asking voters to renew an existing 2.5-mill levy for EMS services for another five years.
• Mad River Twp. in southwest Clark County asks voters to renew a 0.8-mill fire/EMS levy for five years.
Staff writer Jessica Orozco contributed to this report.
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