Montville considering road levy
Trustees discuss putting 1-mill levy on ballot for the fourth time
Montville Service Director Chris Kosman has recommended about $650,000 worth of repairs be done to township roads soon. Photo provided
MONTVILLE – Township officials are considering placing a 1-mill road levy on the ballot that voters here have already rejected three times.
The levy could generate $350,000 a year, which township officials say is sorely needed to repair township roads.
Service Director Chris Kosman recently told township trustees that a review this fall by the Medina County Highway Engineer’s Office indicated Montville roads need about $650,000 worth of repair work.
Kosman said the township only has $112,000 in the budget for pavement work and that is earmarked for repairs to Smith Road and Rustic Hills Drive.
“We haven’t paved any roads in three years,” Kosman said. “A lot of roads are going to need work in the next three to five years.”
Fiscal Officer Mary Pawlowski said the township simply doesn’t have the money to tackle any big road projects now.
“There’s not much we can do in the way of road repairs next year,” she said. “We need a road levy and that will only get us halfway through the work list recommended by the highway engineer.”
All three township trustees agreed that the township needs additional funds for repairs following Kosman’s assessment of current road conditions. They also said their best alternative was to ask voters once again to pass a road levy. Current sentiment among trustees suggests the primary election in May 2017 would be the best time to do that although they did not take any formal action on the proposal.
A road levy was not on the ballot in the November presidential election but it was on the ballot in the primary election last March and both the primary and general elections in 2015. Each time it was rejected in close elections.
A 1-mill levy would generate about $350,000 a year in additional real estate taxes to help maintain township streets and roads. The cost to taxpayers would be about $35 a year on property valued at $100,000; $70 a year on houses valued at $200,000.
Unlike many other townships in the area, Montville does not have a road levy in place and relies on its general fund to supplement motor vehicle and gasoline taxes passed along by the state. Township trustees said the last time the issue was on the ballot that the additional money generated by a road levy would be used only to repair streets and is needed to keep pace with the rising road maintenance costs in the growing township. The 52 miles of roads and streets the township maintains is more than any other township in Medina County.
The levy could generate $350,000 a year, which township officials say is sorely needed to repair township roads.
Service Director Chris Kosman recently told township trustees that a review this fall by the Medina County Highway Engineer’s Office indicated Montville roads need about $650,000 worth of repair work.
Kosman said the township only has $112,000 in the budget for pavement work and that is earmarked for repairs to Smith Road and Rustic Hills Drive.
“We haven’t paved any roads in three years,” Kosman said. “A lot of roads are going to need work in the next three to five years.”
Fiscal Officer Mary Pawlowski said the township simply doesn’t have the money to tackle any big road projects now.
“There’s not much we can do in the way of road repairs next year,” she said. “We need a road levy and that will only get us halfway through the work list recommended by the highway engineer.”
All three township trustees agreed that the township needs additional funds for repairs following Kosman’s assessment of current road conditions. They also said their best alternative was to ask voters once again to pass a road levy. Current sentiment among trustees suggests the primary election in May 2017 would be the best time to do that although they did not take any formal action on the proposal.
A road levy was not on the ballot in the November presidential election but it was on the ballot in the primary election last March and both the primary and general elections in 2015. Each time it was rejected in close elections.
A 1-mill levy would generate about $350,000 a year in additional real estate taxes to help maintain township streets and roads. The cost to taxpayers would be about $35 a year on property valued at $100,000; $70 a year on houses valued at $200,000.
Unlike many other townships in the area, Montville does not have a road levy in place and relies on its general fund to supplement motor vehicle and gasoline taxes passed along by the state. Township trustees said the last time the issue was on the ballot that the additional money generated by a road levy would be used only to repair streets and is needed to keep pace with the rising road maintenance costs in the growing township. The 52 miles of roads and streets the township maintains is more than any other township in Medina County.