Monday, July 22, 2013

GCS Levy Gust Post - Carla Surber

Guest posts are welcome and encouraged. If you have something to say and are able to do it in a respectful, reasonable way, send your piece to darkejournal@gmail.com. The contents of guest posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DarkeJournal.com. 

Luck be a levy, today!

Recent events bring to mind Frank Sinatra singing his lyrical song “Luck be a Lady Tonight”. Luck is nothing to depend on, but when it comes your way, you can’t ignore it.

Greenville School’s taxpayers can receive a bit of luck by keeping the 12.5% property tax rollback in Ohio’s new budget bill, but only if they pass the bond issue.

Ohio’s new budget bill has penalties for homeowners on newly passed issues in November and beyond. Provisions without effective dates, like these penalties, become effective 90 days after signature by the Governor. This is why the Greenville School issue is not impacted.

So how does this budget bill impact the only Darke County issue on August 6th? If the bond issue passes in August, you will still receive the 12.5% rollback on your taxes for the increase. The numbers printed in the brochures representing $174.26 increase on a home valued at $ 100,000 are accurate. The range of $ 2.10 to $2.60 per acre cost is still as advertised.

Taxpayers will see no immediate change in tax bills for existing levies. New Levies (including replacements) on the ballot in November and after will now cost more money than before the budget bill. Passing the Greenville Bond Issue now, on August 6th will avoid the new penalty. Passing the Greenville Bond Issue now, on August 6th, is our only opportunity to keep this savings.

This represents subtle shifting of the way taxes are assessed in Ohio. More of what the state used to pay is being pushed back on the locals. The new budget bill caps and eventually reduces the 1.3 billion dollars the state presently pays in rollbacks. As old levies drop off the books, these new obligations, voted on during November 2013 and after, will decrease state expenditures.

How lucky are the taxpayers of the district that they have the opportunity to save their 12.5% rollback! The passage of this bond issue in August before the effective date of Gov. Kasich’s bill means that 12.5% reduction stays in place! Any new future levies will not see this benefit.

Frank, Old Blue Eyes, can croon: “Hail to the spirit of old Greenville High…Hurrah for the Green and White!”

Featured Posts

/* Track outbound links in Google Analytics */