Community Services asking Tipp City area voters for added support

Tipp Monroe Community Services provides education, recreation, cultural and social services in Tipp City and Monroe Twp. through more than 200 programs and activities.

The 0.5-mill, five-year replacement levy would generate $195,562 a year, up from $110,000 from the current levy that has been renewed since 1992.

“We just can’t operate off ’92 (property) values anymore. We have tried,” said Kathy Taylor, community services director. “But there’s things that we need to do, improvements we want to make.”

Added money would allow the organization, which has two full-time and two part-time employees, to update equipment for classes/programs such as basketball and flag football. It also would allow more expansion into social services so it can do more for the community overall, Taylor said.

In addition to the tax levy, community services receives money from the city of Tipp City ($17,700 yearly), the township ($5,000 a year), the local United Way, income from programs fees/activities, donations (around $50,000 a year) and in-kind donations.

The replacement levy would cost the owner of a home with a $100,000 value $17.50 a year, according to the Miami County Auditor’s Office. That would be an increase of $8.99 a year.

Residents living in unincorporated Monroe Twp. will be asked to approve a 2.0-mill, five year levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services. The levy combines the townships’ separate levies of 1-mill for Fire Protection and 1-mill for Emergency Medical Services.

The 2.0-mill levy would generate $273,099 a year, according to the county auditor’s office. The cost to the owner of a home with a $100,000 value would be $70 a year. That would be an increase of $11.78 annually, the auditor’s office reported.

The township trustees said that by combining the two requests, the township can use funds for both fire and EMS needs at the amount needed each year. By combining the levies, the township also can seek a levy every five years versus the traditional every two to three years. The less frequent requests would save on ballot costs.