FLETCHER — Residents of Brown Township have three levies on the ballot for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Two of the levies — for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) — are renewals. The other levy is replacing an old levy that had the same millage rate but, this time is including the village of Fletcher.
The first levy is an additional tax for the benefit of Brown Township for the purpose of current expenses at a rate not exceeding one and one-half (1.5) mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to fifteen cents ($0.15) for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2023, first due in calendar year 2024.
“We had an operating levy that we passed five years ago that did not include Fletcher. We were told by our legal council it should have included Fletcher. So, we can’t renew it because technically it is an increase. The 1.5 mill we had on, went off. So, we are adding this 1.5 mill and Fletcher is included this time,” said Brown Township Trustee Larry Coffing.
For a property valued at $50,000, the passage of this levy would represent $75 in taxes that would be paid for each of the five years of this renewal. For a property valued at $250,000, this would represent $375 dollars per year.
Funds from this levy will go towards the township’s operational expenses.
“It goes towards paying the township’s bills. It will also go towards the Fletcher cemetery,” said Coffing.
The second levy is a renewal for fire protection services, and the language will appear on the ballot as:
A renewal of a tax for the benefit of the Brown Township Fire District One for the purpose of providing fire protection at a rate not exceeding one and one half (1.5) mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to fifteen cents ($0.15) for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2023, first due in calendar year 2024.
The third levy is a renewal for ambulance and emergency medical services, and the language will appear on the ballot as:
A renewal of a tax for the benefit of Brown Township Fire District One for the purpose of providing ambulance service, emergency medical service, or both at a rate not exceeding one and one-half (1.5) mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to fifteen cents ($0.15) for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2023, first due in calendar year 2024.
For a property valued at $50,000, each of these renewals equates to property owners continuing to pay $75 per year for fire, ambulance, and emergency medical services. For a property valued at $250,000, this represents $375 per year.
“Those two, the fire and emergency services, are our own excluding Fletcher. Those are just renewals,” said Coffing.
Votes will be cast for or against the Levy and a majority vote in favor of the levies is needed for them to pass.