BEAVERCREEK — City council discussed options for a street levy to be placed on the ballet in March 2016, which will be proposed as an addition to a renewal street levy that is to expire next year.
After discussing the needs and best options for the community, council dwindled down four levy options to two.
According to Beavercreek Vice Mayor Debborah Wallace, work sessions and public input will be the key to which option will be sent to the county’s auditor for certification prior to March.
“This is just a preliminary and we’re not making any decisions on the kind of levy or what the amount it will be at this meeting,” Wallace said. “We’ll have plenty of time for public input and comments in upcoming work sessions to discuss which option would be the best for the community.”
The current $2.6 mill street levy will expire in 2016. The current street levy funds the majority of the city operations and is the larger of the two levies set to expire in 2016.
According to an inter-office memo dated Oct. 15 from the Financial Administrator to the city manager, the current 2.6 mill street levy funds the following city’s operations: “snow and ice control, street repair and maintenance for 253 centerline miles of streets, traffic signal and signs operation maintenance, street lighting operation and maintenance, roadside drainage and maintenance, roadside drainage and storm sewer maintenance, matching funds for roadway improvements grants, street sweeping, roadway mowing and landscape maintenance, traffic pavement markings, roadside litter pickup, roadway and traffic signal improvement projects, maintenance of Federal program for storm sewer pollution prevention, and maintenance and replacement of fleet vehicles and equipment.”
In addition to the renewal 2.6 mill street levy, the city will be seeking additional funds to help for future street services for the next five years. The additional funds will be needed to maintain existing street services, continue level of salt and snow removal, double resurfacing efforts, Ash tree removal, capital improvement projects and the purchase of street services equipment.
“There is nothing on the November ballot about this, like some believe,” said Council Member Vicki Giambrone. “The only reason for this procedure is to certify these options so we can understand what the potential revenue would be so we can figure out which one we need to ask the citizens to invest in. It’ll help us have good discussions.”
After a vote, city council decided to keep into play the following additional levy options for the March ballet for consideration:
– Resolution 15-38 declaring Necessity of levying a 2.6 mills renewal plus a .6 mills increase and requesting county auditor to certify.
– Resolution 15-39 declaring necessity of Levying a 2.6 mill Renewal plus an increase of .8 mills increase and requesting county auditor to certify.
Council eliminated the options of increasing the renewal levy by an additional .4 mill and 1.0 mill. After public input during future work sessions, one resolution will be chosen and sent to the auditor’s office to be certified prior to being placed on the March ballot for a vote.
For more information contact the City of Beavercreek at 937-427-5510.
