Russell Trustees Consider Second Levy Reduction
With almost a year gone by since their vote to temporarily reduce collection of a road levy in an effort to offset property revaluation costs, the Russell Township Trustees considered taking action once again at their Oct. 18 meeting.
With almost a year gone by since their vote to temporarily reduce collection of a road levy in an effort to offset property revaluation costs, the Russell Township Trustees considered taking action once again at their Oct. 18 meeting.
Trustees voted in November of 2023 to reduce collection on a road and bridge levy from 1.4 mills to 0.51 mills for one year. The decision came in the wake of property reappraisals, which increased real estate taxes by an average of 30% across the county. The difference in the levy is made up with funds from the revaluation.
The township could pass a resolution similar to last year reducing levy collection, or could divvy up what is collected, Trustee Kristina Port said, adding the township would be receiving money from Laurel School, which would be paid to the departments, and from a 1-mill unvoted property tax.
With funds depleted for the community building, the money could go toward replenishing reserves, she said.
Fiscal Officer Karen Walder talked the board through their decision last year.
“The 2024 increase in inside millage … was $272,000,” she said. “Last year, the board voted to adjust the road and bridge levy and reduce it by $244,000, that’s about 90%, which applied for this year’s collection.”
It’s up to the board what they do and they don’t have to reduce it by the same amount, she said.
“These are my thoughts after thinking about it, is, we don’t have anything in (the) reserve fund,” Port said. “I looked at the Miller Dotson study and looked at some of those projections on our schedule for 2024-2025 and 2024 was $156,000 and 2025 was $299,000.”
Port elaborated on the Miller Dotson study in a follow-up email Oct. 22.
“The Miller Dotson study does a forward look at all the major buildings for the township for 40 years and makes projections on what it would cost to replace items, in a yearly breakdown,” she wrote. “Since we had taken reserve amounts out for 2025, I thought it made sense to take some of the money from the unvoted property tax revaluation and place that in the Miller Dotson reserves.”
Port said Oct. 18 her recommendation is to keep the money — even reducing collection by half is saving a nominal amount, she said, adding the township is going to have increased need with the reserves deplenished.
Trustee Matt Rambo pointed out the township is currently constructing a community building and next year, they won’t be spending as much because of that.
Trustee Jim Mueller suggested just holding the money in the general fund until the end of the year and then allocating it.
Next year, the township is also going to have to look at levies, he said, which is something Port said she wanted to push back if possible.
“If we go to a four- or five-man full-time fire department … right there, that alone could be $200,000,” Mueller said. “And you know, we’re just playing games with the general public by saying, ‘Oh, we’re gonna save you this.’”
Rambo reiterated each of their positions — he wanted to give the money back, Port wanted to put it in a reserve fund and Mueller wanted to hold it in the general fund temporarily.
Port said she’d like to keep some in the general fund for department needs. Rambo added while Port found the amount nominal, it might not be for everyone.
If people feel strongly about the increase from the revaluation, they need to contact their legislators in Columbus about it, Port said.
“They were the ones who last year said, ‘Oh, we’re working on this, we’re working on this,’ and then boom, don’t hear anything,” she said.
“I have to look out for the fact that we didn’t have reserves,” she added. “And if there’s already a document that shows there’s a need, and we don’t even have the money for that, then that’s my concern.”
Walder agreed with Rambo.
“The board set off on a strategy, a mandate that each department needs to stand up on their own two feet,” she said.
There are five levies the township can reduce the millage of, Port said, asking Rambo what he suggested. Rambo replied he’d do 90% again, but doesn’t know which levy would be best for it.
“Each department has a nonqualified levy that could be used,” Walder said. “My recommendation is that you go back and consider the performance, the percent to recommended cash reserve, for our 2025 budget.”
That indicates which department is furthest from needing to go for a levy, she said, adding based on the 2025 budget, road and fire would be most qualified.
As the road (department) saw the levy reduction last time, Rambo volunteered the fire levy.
While no action was taken, trustees are considering reducing collection on the 2016 1.75-mill fire levy by $136,000. As the Geauga County Auditor’s Office would need to certify the reduction, Port was unable to provide information as to what the millage from the reduction would come out to.
