Delaware City Schools passed an operating levy in 2022. Levies have specific purposes they can be used for. Operating Levies are allowed to be used for day to day operations (teachers, consumable supplies, cafeteria, bus fuel,  custodial, etc.)  Permanent Improvement Levies, like the one on the ballot in November are used for long term maintenance, bus purchases, and durable equipment purchases like desks, lighting, technology updates, and other longer lasting purchases.  Bond Issues are a third type of common school levy. They are requests for a specific amount of money to purchase specific things, such as financing the building of a new school. 

Property taxes are determined by millage. This is a somewhat confusing process, but it comes down to 1 Mil being equal to 1/10 of a cent. For property taxes, it is easiest to think in terms of $100,000  in value.  2.85 mils would add roughly $100 per $100,000 of value to our property tax bill, or less than the cost of a cup of coffee shop coffee per day. Approving this levy now will help to avoid a more expensive levy in the future by proactively addressing issues before they become expensive emergencies. 

Property values are up in Central Ohio, partially due to a housing shortage that has driven up housing prices. This increases the property taxes collected on our homes.  We are all feeling the pinch of increased tax collection and overall increases in the price of everyday living. There are a few factors to consider when balancing this against the need for a levy:

• This levy is aimed at sustainable maintenance of our schools, preventing small issues from becoming larger, more expensive problems. 

• The State and Federal governments are  reducing funding for public schools across the board.  We need to step up to ensure that our schools can remain safe and effective places for our children to learn. 

• When a tax levy is passed, it is locked into the amount assessed at that time.  The current Public improvement levy is collecting based on the population of Delaware in 1989, which is less than half of the current population.

• There is a direct correlation between the quality of schools and vitality of a community. Good schools attract employers, maintain property values, and keep graduates in the community, contributing to the long term health of our community.