The levy would generate approximately $2 million for street maintenance and repairs, and even more specifically neighborhood roads, said City Manager Brent Merriman.
“The requested income tax increase is for a five-year term during which time council hopes to show residents what can be accomplished in terms of catching up on street repair, in the hopes that voters will continue to make this reinvestment,” Merriman said.
The condition of streets has long been a point of consternation in the city. In 2010, the city council at the time committed to a minimum of $500,000 annually spent on roadways, though now the annual spend has well exceeded $1 million annually, said Merriman. The city has spent an average of $1.3 million annually on street rehabilitation in the last 10 years.
Currently, which roads get taken care of first is partially determined by grant funds, the need for underground utility work, and stretching Xenia’s dollar as far as possible, Merriman said. Grant money, along with local matches, is usually slated for major thoroughfares, or “arterial streets” that need major underground utility repairs, Merriman said.
Smaller roads, even if they are in worse condition, are often prioritized lower because they benefit fewer residents and cost more, Merriman said, with resources dedicated to roads that cost less to fix but benefit more people.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“As resources have allowed some reconstruction of small neighborhood roads, these funds have been targeted toward roads that needed only a resurfacing (a “mill and fill”) which is much more effective in stretching dollars as far as possible compared to roads that require a complete full-depth restoration,” he added. “It’s simply a matter of getting the biggest impact out of a very limited budget.”
If the levy fails, the city council will prioritize streets as much as possible while maintaining a balanced budget, Merriman said.
“In order to provide additional resources toward street repair, the council would either need a dedicated tax increase or they would have to divert funds from public safety,” Merriman said. “Council has publicly stated its commitment to maintaining a safe community, so the only real alternative is to ask voters to make an additional investment in their community.”
If the levy fails, it’s likely voters will see a similar ask again in the future, he added.
The city receives about 7% of property taxes collected in the city. Last year, Xenia voters declined to renew an operating property tax levy that had been in place since the 1950s.
The city’s current income tax rate is 2.25%, with a credit of up to 1.5% given to those who pay local tax to other municipalities. This ballot issue will not change the tax credit.
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