Pickerington heading to ballot
Voters to decide 5-mill school levy in May
By Charlie Boss THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
After five straight requests at the polls, ballot-weary Pickerington schools will be returning to voters again in May.
The school board voted unanimously at last night?’s meeting to place a 5-mill permanent replacement levy on the ballot.
The decision comes less than three months after voters OK?’d a $59.9 million bond issue to build two new elementaries and a middle school. Voters rejected four previous requests for new schools starting in November 2004.
''The public needs to know that this is a real important decision they need to look at,'' said board member Gail Oakes.
The proposed property tax would replace a 5-mill renewal levy that expires this year and pay for district operations. The current levy collects about 2.8 mills because millage is rolled back as property values increase so school districts don?’t get a windfall. The levy generates about $2.8 million.
By asking for a 5-mill replacement levy instead of a renewal, the board is hoping to bring the millage back to what it was when it was approved in 1992, school officials said.
The owner of a $100,000 home in the district is expected to pay $153 a year if the levy is passed, but only $67 would be new tax revenue.
''It?’s like most school districts: We have a problem with funding, but we have a special problem,'' said board President Jim Brink. ''When we pass short-term levies, we still have to go back and get them passed again.''
The district also has a 7.9-mill operating levy that expires in 2008.
The Committee for Responsible Schools, the campaign group that worked to pass the November bond issue, will be regrouping on Friday to talk about the levy, chairwoman Cathy Olshefski said.
''The story is going to be different and the message is going to be different,'' she said. ''It?’s going to be the community educating the community to get the community to support this.''
The committee waged an aggressive grass-roots campaign that included parades, community forums and a ''Mine and Nine'' campaign, in which volunteers called nine voters to tell them about the bond issue. The campaign also raised more than $25,000.
''We had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year?’s,'' Olshefski said. ''It?’s time to get started again.''
cboss@dispatch.com
By Tax Weary
Voters to decide 5-mill school levy in May
By Charlie Boss THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
After five straight requests at the polls, ballot-weary Pickerington schools will be returning to voters again in May.
The school board voted unanimously at last night?’s meeting to place a 5-mill permanent replacement levy on the ballot.
The decision comes less than three months after voters OK?’d a $59.9 million bond issue to build two new elementaries and a middle school. Voters rejected four previous requests for new schools starting in November 2004.
''The public needs to know that this is a real important decision they need to look at,'' said board member Gail Oakes.
The proposed property tax would replace a 5-mill renewal levy that expires this year and pay for district operations. The current levy collects about 2.8 mills because millage is rolled back as property values increase so school districts don?’t get a windfall. The levy generates about $2.8 million.
By asking for a 5-mill replacement levy instead of a renewal, the board is hoping to bring the millage back to what it was when it was approved in 1992, school officials said.
The owner of a $100,000 home in the district is expected to pay $153 a year if the levy is passed, but only $67 would be new tax revenue.
''It?’s like most school districts: We have a problem with funding, but we have a special problem,'' said board President Jim Brink. ''When we pass short-term levies, we still have to go back and get them passed again.''
The district also has a 7.9-mill operating levy that expires in 2008.
The Committee for Responsible Schools, the campaign group that worked to pass the November bond issue, will be regrouping on Friday to talk about the levy, chairwoman Cathy Olshefski said.
''The story is going to be different and the message is going to be different,'' she said. ''It?’s going to be the community educating the community to get the community to support this.''
The committee waged an aggressive grass-roots campaign that included parades, community forums and a ''Mine and Nine'' campaign, in which volunteers called nine voters to tell them about the bond issue. The campaign also raised more than $25,000.
''We had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year?’s,'' Olshefski said. ''It?’s time to get started again.''
cboss@dispatch.com
By Tax Weary
