Carlisle school board considering renewing operations levy

CARLISLE — The Carlisle Board of Education has started the process of placing a five-year renewal of an emergency levy on the May 2 election ballot.

The board Monday approved a resolution of necessity for the renewal of an emergency levy that was first approved in May 2013, and renewed again in 2018. The levy, currently at 5.9 mills, generates $993,222 a year, according to Treasurer Dan Bassler.

Bassler said the resolution of necessity will go to the Warren County Auditor’s Office where the millage will be determined based on the district’s property tax valuation. After that is determined, the board can vote on a resolution to proceed to place the renewal levy on the May ballot at its Jan. 23 meeting.

“We anticipate a lower millage being set due to the recent property revaluation by the county,” Bassler said.

Under Ohio law, emergency levies are set for specific dollar amounts and the actual millage is determined by the county auditor to keep those revenues constant so the district does not collect more than that amount.receives the amount requested. Emergency levies have to be renewed every five years as they cannot be voted in permanently.

When the emergency levy was first approved in 2013, the Carlisle district was in fiscal caution by the Ohio Department of Education and the additional revenues were needed to stabilize the district, officials said.

Emergency levy revenues can only be used for operational expenses include salaries for all personnel, technology software and support, purchase of textbooks, and programming costs - such as gifted programs, special education programs, college credit plus programming, advanced placement and other academic programs. It also includes, but is not limited to supplies, materials and equipment, repair of buildings, maintenance costs for buildings, grounds and buses, utilities, and other similar costs.

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