The levy would generate $661,534 each year for road repairs, road surface upgrades and winter services.
The maintenance and repair of township roads is one of the most significant functions of townships in Ohio, according to the Ohio Township Association. Townships receive part of the state’s motor vehicle license fees and gasoline tax to fund this kind of work, but can generate funding through local levies.
Jefferson Twp. is located southwest of Dayton and has more than 5,000 residents. Local officials said the last roads levy for the area passed in 2001.
“It’s one of the biggest issues for everyone in the township, because everyone drives on them,” Jefferson Twp. Administrator Chrisondra Goodwine said of local road conditions.
The township’s road department maintains 44 miles of roadway and the township’s stormwater system. The levy aims to repair potholes, cracks and other road damage in Jefferson Twp., while also funding road resurfacing.
At current township funding levels — about $300,000 for the road and bridge fund, Goodwine said — only one street can typically be resurfaced annually.
A civil engineering firm in a 2019 study found that more than 69% of the township’s roads are in fair or worse condition.
An analysis by this same firm, Sidney-based Choice One Engineering, identified several streets as being “critical” in their precinct. These critical streets could be prioritized for resurfacing over the next several years, starting in 2026.
Jenkins Drive, Forney Road, Frytown Road, and the township’s section of Union Road may see work as early as next year, while Frazer Street, Creekside Street and several other streets could have updates as soon as 2027 or 2028.
In 2029, the Choice One Engineering review also recommended work for stormwater and drainage areas, among other work.
“That’s just a sample of the projected timeline, and based on today’s figures, what will be impossible to accomplish,” Goodwine said.
If the levy passes, Jefferson Twp. officials said they will provide regular updates on how funds are spent, which roads are scheduled for work, and what progress is being made.
But the levy failing would mean road resurfacing would continue to be limited in the coming years, with most road maintenance focusing on filling potholes.
“We will continue down what our current pathway is,” said Goodwine. “But the reality is, resurfacing would be unlikely, and many of the issues that have been identified would continue to go unaddressed until funds were available.”
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