Vail and the Warren County Auditor’s office both said that if passed, the levy would continue to cost a homeowner about $154 annually per $100,000 of valuation, and would continue to generate about $993,222 per year in revenue for the school district.
“The emergency renewal will not increase taxes and will generate the same amount of money for the school for operating expenses as it did when originally passed,” Vail said.
Emergency levies have a five-year limit and cannot be voted in permanently, he said.
Under Ohio law, emergency levy revenues can only be used for operational expenses, which include things like 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.
“As a 1991 alum, former board member and high school principal, spouse of a teacher, and in a few days father of a 2023 CHS grad, I am extremely proud of this school district,” said Matt Bishop, school renewal levy treasurer. “This levy renewal is critical to maintain the great education our children receive. This levy will not raise taxes and Carlisle Schools have always been excellent stewards of our tax dollars with disciplined and strategic financial decision making. It is critical we keep moving forward and not backwards. My family and I will be proudly voting yes for the Carlisle Schools renewal levy.”
There are also voters in the district who oppose renewing the emergency tax levy.
”I do oppose the next levy,” said resident P.K. Hahn. “We are retired and live on a fixed income. If Carlisle Board of Education cannot live on their fixed income, they need new people to manage their accounts. I am tired of being taxed to death.”
She said she’s still opposed, even though it would not raise taxes.
When the emergency levy was first approved in May 2013, the Carlisle district had been put in fiscal caution status by the Ohio Department of Education, and the additional revenues were needed to stabilize the district, officials said. The emergency levy was renewed in May 2018.
If the levy is rejected at the ballot box, Vail said he expects the school board to place it on the November general election ballot. However, there are no budget cuts planned if the levy renewal fails in May.
For more information or to get levy questions answered, contact Vail or district Treasurer Dan Bassler, at 937-746-0710.
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