Vote for Levies 18, 19 and 20

To the Editor:

I’m writing this letter to urge you to vote for replacement levies 18, 19 and 20. They are all levies dating back to either 1976 or 1981, have been renewed every five years since then, but never adjusted for inflation. Replacing a levy –– as opposed to renewing –– restores the millage rate back to the rate that was mandated during the original issue, thus allowing the levy to produce more revenue. The replacement of 18, 19 and 20 would increase the taxes of a homeowner with a $100,000.00 house an extra $10 per month.
All these levies are critical to the operation of the city. Number 18 supplies the City general fund –– currently under pressure because of recent plant closings –– with revenue for operations. Number 19 produces money for our police pension fund –– this is mandated by the state and would have to come from some other source if not from the levy. And number 20 supplies funding for the refuse department with the bulk of the money going towards replacement of our aging fleet of refuse and recycling trucks.
We would all like to live in a world where our tax base was not adjusted for inflation, but doing so would certainly put a strain on the City to provide all the various services we have come to take for granted. Help the City continue to run efficiently. Vote for levies 18, 19 and 20.

–Ken Sloane 
Oberlin City Councilperson