Election 2023: Chardon Township voters split on road, fire/EMS levies

Chad Felton, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
Updated ·2 min read

Nov. 7—Voters in Chardon Township rejected a proposed five-year, 3-mill additional levy for streets, roads and bridges, but passed a three-year, 2.5-mill renewal levy for fire and EMS in the Nov. 7 general election.

The additional levy was voted down 1,207 to 1,058, while the renewal levy passed 1,647 to 635, according to unofficial final results from the Geauga County Elections Board.

The renewal levy will generate approximately $406,000 per year and continue to cost taxpayers $67 annually, Geauga County Auditor Charles Walder confirmed.

Collection of the levy will begin in 2024.

According to officials, the road department maintains all roads except those designated as state, county or private.

"The simple fact is that the funding, it had to come from us....it has to come from us — the state doesn't allow us to use monies for residential streets," said Chardon Township Trustee Timothy McKenna. "The township currently maintains 33.49 miles of road, 16 of which are in desperate need of repair and resurfacing.

"It's important to point out that, in that time, to account for one mile of road, the cost was around $175,000, now it's well over a million (dollars)," he added. "There's nothing 'negative' about any of this....we'll simply continue to seek additional funding resources because the need is there."

The renewal, McKenna noted, will ensure that the township continues to maintain and expand its services with the Chardon Fire Department.

Additionally, two countywide issues resoundingly passed.

A five-year, 0.7-mill renewal levy for Board of Mental Health and Recovery services was approved by voters 27,199 to 12,230; and a five-year, 0.2-mill renewal levy for Health District programs was approved 25,468 to 13,853, according to unofficial final results.

The first levy will generate approximately $2,285,000 per year and cost taxpayers $19 annually per $100,000 in property valuation; the second renewal will generate approximately $653,000 per year and cost taxpayers $5 annually per $100,000 in property valuation, Walder noted.

An additional issue, a continuing, 4.7-mill replacement levy for the East Geauga Fire District, passed 954-568, according to unofficial final results.

Passage of the measure will generate approximately $916,000 per year and cost taxpayers $78 annually per $100,000 in property valuation.