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Road, bridge levy heads for Bainbridge ballot
(by Joan Demirjian - June 16, 2010)
Road, bridge levy heads for Bainbridge ballot
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Bainbridge voters will decide on a 2-mill road and bridge levy renewal in November after Township Trustees voted 2-1 last week to place it on the ballot.
Trustee Matt Lynch cast the opposing vote, saying there is a cash carry-over in the road department.
Trustees Jeff Markley and Lorrie Benza supported placing the levy on the ballot.
"I voted against it," Mr. Lynch said of renewing the levy at the same amount. There is a significant cash balance in the road department, as well as all the township departments, he said. Every township department has an unencumbered carry-over of more than $1 million, he said. The road department had a $1.6 million carry-over. "That was more than last year," he said.
"My proposal was to reduce the road levy by $100,000," Mr. Lynch said.
If trustees had done that, they could have worked to bring down the carry-over in the road department, he said. "These large carry-overs will go through 2014," Mr. Lynch said. They could have put a larger levy on when needed, he said.
"There's the idea that these levies should be passed for the convenience of the township," Mr. Lynch said. Levies should be passed when there is a real necessity, not for a convenience, he said.
"Taxpayers should be allowed to keep their money," Mr. Lynch said. "We reduced the road department payroll in 2009 by $100,000, but we didn't share it with the citizens."
The reduction was done by eliminating a position and replacing another person with two part-time people. And it did not have any effect on the operations, he said. He questioned the purpose of cost savings if taxes are not reduced in the process.
In addition to the carry-overs for the fire, road, police and cemeteries, there is a cash carry-over of $5.5 million in the township's general fund, mostly in the investment funds.
Bainbridge Road Superintendent Wally Rudyk said the 2-mill road levy would be a renewal of a 2005 road levy. It is identical to the previous one, with no increases, he said. It pays for road work, equipment and whatever else is needed in the department, he said. It is one of three five-year levies that funds the road department operations, he said.
Mr. Markley said he supports the 2-mill levy without reductions. "We felt we should continue at the same amount because the levy is not continuing and we have to pass it every five years," he said. The same is true of the other two road levies, he said.
"The levy keeps the road department services where they are at now," Mr. Markley said. "I think it's appropriate to keep the levies at the same amount."
The road department will be undertaking some extensive projects, he said. Portions of the Hawksmoor Way repairs and Kenston Lake subdivision work most likely will come under the road department's responsibilities, Mr. Markley said.
A project to repave the northern lane of Crackel Road from Chillicothe Road (Route 306) to the Auburn Township line likely will be done in cooperation with the City of Aurora, which maintains the southern portion of the road, he said.
Resurfacing of Snyder Road is also on the list of things to do by the road department, Mr. Markley said.
If the road levy is reduced by $100,000 annually, it means the department will not have the carry-over funds, he said. "It reduces the ability to do these road projects.
"We voted to continue the status quo with the levy with neither an increase or a decrease," Mr. Markley said.
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