Information About Upcoming Replacement Levy 0.6 Mills
The current 0.6 mill Road & Bridge levy was initially passed in 1981. The levy has been renewed five times – in 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 – with no corresponding increase in valuation. This means that residents are currently paying this levy based upon the value of their property in 1981 or whatever date the property was purchased. The proposed replacement levy will keep the millage the same, but will base the amount of tax levied on current property values.
Presently, residents are paying roughly $7.60 per $100,000 of valuation for this levy, which generates $29-35,000 per year for the Road & Bridge Fund. If this levy passes, residents will pay an estimated additional $10.40 ($18.00 total) per $100,000 of valuation for this levy, which will generate $100,000 per year for the Road & Bridge Fund. If the replacement levy fails, the underlying renewal levy also fails.
If the levy passes, this will mean an additional $65,000 annually for the Road & Bridge Fund. This money will be used to establish a Hot Mix Resurfacing Program capable of repaving one township road per year. This would replace the current practice of paving sporadically whenever the township receives a grant, another government entity is responsible for the repaving, or the payment comes from the township’s General Fund. Additionally, monies that have been transferred to the Road Department from the General Fund could be used for other purposes – Township Park, Cemeteries, Administration, or special projects throughout the township.
| RECENT TOWNSHIP PAVING PROJECTS | ||||
| Year | Project | Total Cost | Bazetta’s Share | Balance paid by |
| 2005 | Burnett Drive | $ 58,199.00 | $ 18,042.00 | OPWC |
| 2006 | none | |||
| 2007 | Durst Clagg Road | $ 92,131.00 | $ 15,355.00 | OPWC Loan |
| 2008 | Williams/Morrow | $ 54,920.00 | $ - | TC Sanitary Engineer |
| Westlake/Lakeshore | $ 79,401.00 | $ - | TC Sanitary Engineer | |
| Wilmar/Circle | $ 11,335.00 | Other townships | ||
| 2009 | Howland Wilson Phase 1 | $ 71,885.00 | $ 22,284.00 | OPWC |
| Howland Wilson Phase 2 | $ 72,446.00 | $ 22,458.00 | OPWC | |
| 2010 | Durst Clagg Phase 1 | $ 83,985.00 | $ 26,035.00 | OPWC |
| Northview Drive | $ 69,039.00 | $ 69,039.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $ 582,006.00 | $ 184,548.00 | ||
| Durst Clagg Road was paid for via a 15-year 0% OPWC loan that is repaid at $6142 annually. | ||||
| 2009 & 2010 projects were paid for by the General Fund. | ||||
| ROAD DEPARTMENT RECEIPTS | ||||
| Year | Auto Tax | Gas Tax | Road & Bridge Property Tax | Total |
| 2005 | $ 9,000.00 | $ 69,000.00 | $ 216,000.00 | $ 294,000.00 |
| 2006 | $ 7,900.00 | $ 91,000.00 | $ 276,000.00 | $ 374,900.00 |
| 2007 | $ 7,800.00 | $ 90,000.00 | $ 251,000.00 | $ 348,800.00 |
| 2008 | $ 9,500.00 | $ 95,000.00 | $ 242,000.00 | $ 346,500.00 |
| 2009 | $ 6,200.00 | $ 87,000.00 | $ 242,000.00 | $ 335,200.00 |
| 2010 | $ 5,600.00 | $ 78,000.00 | $ 239,000.00 | $ 322,600.00 |
| AVERAGE | $ 7,700.00 | $ 85,000.00 | $ 244,000.00 | $ 336,700.00 |
If the levy does not pass, there will obviously be no Hot Mix Resurfacing Plan. The Road Department budget will have to be cut by $29-35,000 annually. This is roughly the amount the township spends annually on road salt. While it would be extremely unlikely that the township would cease to use road salt in the winter, it is extremely likely that the Road Department will be unable to hire new employees. By the end of this month, the Road Department will have reduced its staff by 36%, from 1 seasonal and 5 full-time employees in the summer of 2009 to 1 seasonal and 3 full-time employees for the remainder of 2010. This level of staffing will be unsustainable in 2011. If a new employee is not hired, the services rendered by the department will not be as timely and efficient as they have been and the workload on the remaining staff will increase significantly. This will inevitably lead to decreased quality of service for residents and increased overtime expenditures for the township. The result will be dissatisfied residents, overworked employees, and a perpetual drain on the General Fund when the Road & Bridge Fund inevitably begins deficit spending. If the General Fund falls below a certain point, the township can be placed in Fiscal Watch or Fiscal Emergency.
The cost of living has increased significantly since this levy was initially passed in 1981. Meanwhile, the tax revenue collected has remained largely the same. That said, the Road Department is still operating efficiently and effectively on a very lean budget. The Road Department employees would like to not only provide the current level of service, but also increase that level of service by paving township roads desperately in need of repair. They will only be able to do so with the financial assistance of the residents of Bazetta Township.