HARROD — A pair of new levies in Marion and Auglaize townships will ensure the services residents benefit from are not cut or eliminated, local government officials say.
On Tuesday, voters in these Allen County townships will be faced with two additional levies — a five-year, 1-mill levy in Auglaize Township and a five-year, 0.75 mill levy in Marion Township.
If passed, taxpayers in Auglaize Township will pay an extra $35 per $100,000 property valuation each year the levy is in effect. Taxpayers in Marion Township would pay an additional $26.25 per $100,000 valuation.
The levy would generate roughly $100,000 per year for Marion Township, and $59,000 per year for Auglaize Township.
Auglaize Township Chairman Michael Stout said the levy would curtail the deficit the township is currently operating under.
“If residents pass the levy, there will no longer be any deficit spending in the township,” Stout said. “We are currently operating at a deficit of about $40,000 to $45,000 annually.”
Stout said the deficit started in 2012 when the state legislature began making cuts. He said the legislature eliminated the estate tax, reduced local government funding by 50 percent and phased out the tangible personal property tax reimbursement.
“If you look at 2012, our operating expense revenues were $143,407. The next year, after those cuts took place, our revenue dropped to $49,752,” he said.
Stout said the township began cutting its operating expenses to make up for the deficit, but it was not enough. He said their expenditures were reduced from $120,765 in 2012 to about $90,000 currently. Revenue, however, has remained between $50,000 and $55,000.
The money generated from the levy would be placed in the general fund, Stout said, and then dispersed to other funds that have seen the most cuts. In Auglaize Township, Stout said the fire/EMS fund would benefit the most because it sustained the most damage.
Marion Township Chairman Jerry Gilden said they have also suffered from budget cuts. Since 2008, the township has lost an average of $101,000 a year. This marks a 25 percent decrease in state funding.
“It’s decreased our revenues to a point where we’re going to have to start eliminating or cutting back on certain services,” Gilden said, adding that services likely to be cut include snowplowing in the winter and road maintenance in the summer. “A lot of things would be impacted because there’s just not enough money to go around.”
Gilden said the township has already cut back on road maintenance, but he fears that without more revenue, it will reach a point where more and more roads start to deteriorate.
“If we continue to get behind on it, it’s going to be tough to play catch up,” he said. “The need is definitely there.”
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