Orange Township: Trustees take steps to put roads, parks renewal levies

Orange Township trustees approved resolutions June 13 to seek renewal of the township's roads and parks levies after an extended discussion on the challenges of maintaining township roads.

Trustees didn't spend much time discussing the parks but mentioned residents' interest in seeing trails completed and facilities for pickleball and disc golf.

Both levies are set to expire at the end of this year. The roads levy, approved at 0.5 mill, currently is collected at an effective rate of 0.40 mill, said Shari Lewis of the Delaware County Auditor's Office. The parks levy, approved at 1 mill, is collected at 0.77 mill.

Township communications coordinator Carolina Flynn said after the meeting that the next step would be for the county auditor to certify millage amounts for the issues, which then would require a final vote of approval by township trustees to be on the ballot. The filing deadline to send an issue to the Delaware County Board of Elections for the Nov. 8 election is 4 p.m. Aug. 10.

Township fiscal officer Lisa Kraft told trustees that through 2026, the township faces road repair and construction costs estimated at $14 million to $15 million.

The current road levy generates about $700,000 annually, she said.

"So you can see that's a significant shortfall," she said.

The township is in the first phase of improving and widening Bale Kenyon Road between Orange Road and Kendal Lane, which, Kraft said, will cost $4 million.

Two more phases are to be scheduled later, and the township also has projects planned along Shanahan, Orange and Plum roads, she said.

Kraft presented trustees with lists of tentative figures on the costs of issuing bonds for road work.

Michael Bernth​ of consultants Bradley Payne Advisors of Columbus spoke to trustees by phone during the meeting and said changes in interest rates and continuing increases in construction costs likely could affect the projections.

If the township were to make a single bond issue for $5 million, Kraft said, the township would pay a total of $6.4 million in debt over the life of the bond.

The township also could make one bond issue now and one a year later, she said. If each issue were for $2.5 million, the township's repayment would total at least $3.2 million for each, she said.

The township has development projects in the works that eventually could provide money through tax-increment-financing deals, Kraft said, but that income would not reach significant amounts until 2025.

The township is to continue to seek grants for road construction, but potential revenue from grants would cover only a percentage of future road costs, she said.

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Orange Township trustees take steps to put roads, parks renewal levies on ballot