Springfield Local Schools Levy Fails as Toledo-Area Voters Split on Tax Issues

Voters across the Toledo area settled a crowded slate of local tax questions on Tuesday, and the results were mixed. A proposed 0.5% earned income tax for Springfield Local Schools failed at the ballot box, according to unofficial Lucas County election results, while measures benefiting Toledo Public Schools, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and several suburban districts won approval.

The Springfield Local Schools levy, intended for day-to-day operations, would have brought in just over $4.5 million annually, according to the district. Superintendent Matt Geha said the money would have helped the district avoid cuts to staff and programs. The district had already reduced staff at the start of this school year, and Geha pointed to concerns about state funding cuts as a factor behind the request.

In Toledo, the safety income tax levy known as Issue 16 also failed. The 0.25% income tax was intended to fund neighborhood safety initiatives, police and fire operations, and criminal gang disruption. City leaders had warned that defeat would bring layoffs for firefighters and police officers, along with reduced blight crews and emergency-only demolition of vacant homes. Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold said roughly 73 layoffs could hit the police and fire departments. Joseph Cira, president of Toledo Firefighters Local 92, called that figure concerning. “We’ll have a decreased ability to respond and a decreased ability to take care of those people because there will be less people to respond to emergencies,” Cira said.

Toledo Public Schools fared better. Voters approved Issue 9, a 6.9 mills property tax levy expected to generate more than $22 million annually for current expenses and to help fund a district transformation plan, according to Lucas County election results, which remain unofficial until certified. Under the ballot language, the levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $242 a year. Superintendent Romulus Durant had cited rising operational costs, inflation and state funding cuts as the reasons the district went to voters.

A 3-mill operational levy for the Toledo Lucas County Public Library also passed Tuesday. Chief of Staff Lucas Camuso-Stall said the measure will cost homeowners an additional $12 per year for every $100,000 of home valuation. Library officials sought the levy after Ohio shifted the public library fund from a percentage of revenue to a fixed budget line, a change they say cost the system nearly $2 million and forced rapid adjustments by staff.

Lucas County voters additionally approved a 0.17 mill property tax renewal for operation and maintenance at the Imagination Station. The renewal will generate about $1.3 million a year and cost property owners $3.22 per $100,000 of home valuation. Because it is a renewal, the rate stays the same and the levy collects the same amount as when it was first requested in 2008. Public funding now accounts for 21 percent of the science center’s total budget, down from 38 percent previously, with grants, private donations and admissions revenue covering the rest.

In Maumee, a 1.25% income tax renewal for Maumee City Schools appeared to pass based on unofficial results, the first time the district had placed a levy on the ballot in eight years. Superintendent Steve Lee said the levy would generate nearly $6 million and help pull the district out of a $4 million fiscal deficit. A resident earning $50,000 a year would pay about $625 annually through the tax on gross income. Lee said the money would support programming, extracurriculars and transportation, and would retain positions such as school nurses, support services staff and teachers.

Sylvania Schools voters approved a 1% income tax Tuesday night that the district says will generate $5 million annually. In connection with the measure, the district’s existing 4.9 mills property tax will be reduced to 3.2 mills, saving an estimated $35 per year on a $100,000 home, officials said. Superintendent Tim Zieroff had framed the choice plainly: pass the levy for additional revenue or make significant cuts.

Evergreen Local Schools residents passed a 0.25% income tax renewal, according to preliminary election day results. The measure renews part of the district’s current combined 1.5% income tax rate. Superintendent Eric Smola said it produces about $850,000 annually for staffing, operational expenses, utilities, transportation and curriculum, at a cost of roughly $125 a year for residents earning about $50,000.