Election 2021: These tax issues are on Greene County ballots in November

The vacant land adjacent to the Greene County Juvenile Justice Center and across from the adult detention center could be the site of a new county jail and sheriff’s administration building. RICHARD WILSON/STAFF

The vacant land adjacent to the Greene County Juvenile Justice Center and across from the adult detention center could be the site of a new county jail and sheriff’s administration building. RICHARD WILSON/STAFF

Voters across Greene County will determine in November whether to levy a sales tax to pay for a new jail, and voters in 11 jurisdictions will decide funding measures for schools, police, fire and emergency services, as well as for roads and bridges and operating expenses for local governments.

Greene County is asking voters to approve a 0.25% sales tax to help build a new 384-bed jail estimated to cost $50 million. If approved, the tax is projected to bring in about $6 million a year.

The county hasn’t determined when the sales tax might end, but county commissioners will petition the tax commissioner to reduce collections on the increase to zero as soon as a jail bond issue is retired, according to Brandon Huddleson, Greene County administrator.

The Yellow Springs school district is asking voters to approve a new income tax-property tax combination to pay for construction of a new K-12 school campus. Residents will cast a single vote on the two-part levy.

The permanent income tax would be set at 0.5%, the equivalent of $250 a year for someone with $50,000 in qualifying income. The property tax is tied to a 37-year, $23 million bond issue estimated to cost $227 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home.

Yellow Springs voters rejected a different school construction levy in 2018.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

What Greene County voters will see on November ballots

JurisdictionPurposeTypeMillageLengthCost/$100k homeIncreaseAnnual revenue
BellbrookOperating expenses levyRenewal1.3 mills5 years$31.65No$226,000
CountywideBridges levyRenewal0.25 mill5 years$6.30No$994,000
CountywideJail constructionSales tax0.25%   $6,000,000
FairbornFire/EMS levyRenewal4.4 mills5 years$113.60No$2,300,000
FairbornPolice levyRenewal4.4 mills5 years$113.60No$2,300,000
CedarvilleCurrent expenses levyRenewal2.6 mills5 years$14.41No$17,000
Cedarville Twp.Fire/EMS levyRenewal1.0 mill5 years$27.08No$79,000
JamestownPolice levyRenewal5.4 mills5 years$87.04No$104,000
JamestownStreets, roads, bridges levyAdditional2.3 mills5 years$80.50$80.50$74,000
Jefferson Twp.Fire/EMS levyRenewal2.0 mills5 years$21.28No$40,800
Jefferson Twp.Roads and bridges levyAdditional3.0 mills5 Years$105.00$105.00$117,000
Ross Twp.Fire/EMS levyRenewal1.5 mills5 years$14.81No$21,000
Silvercreek Twp.Fire/EMS levyAdditional2.0 millsContinuing$70.00$70.00$176,000
Spring ValleyCurrent expenses levyRenewal2.3 mills5 years$60.60No$16,000
Spring Valley Twp.Current expenses levyRenewal0.3 mill5 years$1.80No$7,000
Spring Valley Twp.Current expenses levyRenewal1.0 mill 5 years$31.52No$88,000
Spring Valley Twp.Fire/EMS levyReplacement and increase3.0 millsContinuing$105.00$99.00$290,000
Yellow Springs Exempted School District*Income tax and bond issueAdditional0.5%, 6.5 mills37 years$227.50$227.50$1,089,000
*Does not include impact of income tax component of bond levy.
Source: Greene County Auditor's Office, Greene County Board of Elections