Franklin levy passes: ‘Strong schools the pillar of a strong community’

There was a lot of Wildcat pride in Franklin on Tuesday night as voters approved a five-year, 15.89-mill substitute levy that would generate the same amount of money that the two current levies currently generate for the school district.

The levy passed by a vote of 56.1 percent for, to 43.8 percent against according to the final, unofficial results from the Warren County Board of Elections.

The Franklin school board combined a five-year, 8.88-mill emergency operating levy and a five-year, 7.92-mill emergency operating levy into a five-year, 15.89-mill substitute levy that would generate the same amount of money that the two current levies currently generate for the school district.

Libby Aldridge, who co-chaired the campaign with her husband Michael, a Franklin city councilman, said the huge voter turnout made it hard to predict how the levy would finish Tuesday night.

“We’re very happy tonight,” she said. “Our city has a lot of hometown pride. I’m glad that the community believes that strong schools is the pillar of a strong community.”

Aldridge said, “this will ensure that our students will continue to receive a high-quality education from the Franklin City Schools and continue the positive momentum in the district.”

Superintendent Michael Sander was also appreciative to the community for its turnout and support.

“The community is very supportive of our schools and it meant a lot to me that the board made promises during the last levy vote and had kept its promises. I think the community respected that,” he said.

School officials said the new substitute levy will not raise taxes on property owners and will generate the same amount of revenue for the district. In addition, property owners will still keep a portion of the 12.5 percent homestead exemption rollback on close to 8 mills of the proposed levy.

Warren County Auditor Matt Nolan said the certified millage for the substitute levy is 0.91-mill less and said after the property re-valuations are completed, that millage may go down by at least 1 mill and still generate the fixed amount of nearly $7.18 million.

Nolan said the owner of property valued at $100,000 would still pay about $528.28, which is what they currently pay for the two levies.

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