ELECTION GUIDE
There are several candidates and tax issues on the May 7 ballot in communities around the Dayton area. Go to DaytonDailyNews.com/go/vote to learn more about what’s on your ballot.
There’s a lot at stake for our Centerville schools on May 7 and that’s why I am voting for Issue 12.
Schools are at the heart of what makes our community strong. We have a proud tradition of educational excellence, recognized by the state for more than a decade. If we want to maintain the quality of our classrooms, we need to make the necessary down payment. By supporting this levy, we will invest in our community and in our children to achieve. We cannot afford another round of cuts to our schools.
Our Centerville students form the foundation for this community for generations to come. We must help them in this challenge. Let's support our schools and community by voting for the Centerville schools and Issue 12. AMANDA VENERO, CENTERVILLE
‘Levy is bad policy and bad precedent’
Here are five reasons to vote “no” on the 6.9-mill levy for the Centerville City Schools:
1. This new tax ignores the 17,189 people who voted against a lower 5.9-mill levy last November. Now the school board wants all that and much more.
2. It’s not OK to out-spend your income by several million dollars, consuming more than one-third of the district’s reserves.
3. The levy is way out of balance. The board wants to raise more than $11 million in revenue every year from taxpayers, while making less than $3 million in reductions, many of which should have been made even before the board acknowledged it had a financial problem.
4. Centerville’s performance rating does not hang in the balance with this levy; there are still many ways for the board to save money without sacrificing classroom instruction.
5. This tax is forever. When the economy improves and your property’s assessed value goes up, your taxes will go up, too. It is highly unlikely that the school board will then propose a lower tax rate.
It's in everyone's best interest for the district to maintain its "Excellent with Distinction" rating, but this levy is bad policy and bad precedent. This taxpayer respectfully insists that the school board first show how it will live within its means, and then, if needed, approach the voters with a more affordable, balanced and temporary levy proposal. TIM COOK, CENTERVILLE
‘Supporting our schools … makes sense’
My neighbors and I were recently discussing the Centerville schools’ May 7 levy and we agreed that it is time for our community to step up. After the narrow loss in November, our school district faces millions of dollars of more cuts and deficit spending. Neglecting our duty to invest in our educational institutions is perilous.
Centerville Schools have reduced the budget by $2.6 million for this year and have had $12 million cut since 2009. That has meant 76 staff members and countless programs have been wiped away. We cannot tell what the long-term consequences for our community will be yet, but we know this a dangerous course. Supporting our schools and voting for Issue 12 makes sense. The time is now. PEGGY WILLHELM, CENTERVILLE
Those on fixed income hit the hardest
Re the Centerville school levy: Little has been said or expressed about the concern for the seniors on fixed incomes and the problems they face meeting day-to-day needs in a youth-focused society. We have great kids, teachers, administrators and seniors in our community. We should budget wisely to meet the needs of all as best we can. The city administrators do an excellent job of doing that today and we are grateful for that.
Our school board and administrators need to do a better job of living within our means and not continually run deficits that call for additional funds to stay afloat.
May 7 is an important day in all of our lives. Consider what is important in your life and step back and be thankful that we live together in a great community and live with the results of the tax levy, whether you won or lost. However, do not forget the seniors on fixed incomes who get hit the hardest. School administrators and school board members spend what you have and do not spend what you don't have. Seniors do that daily. JOHN PALCHER, CENTERVILLE
Ensure that our community remains safe
The men and women of the Miami Twp. Police Department are dedicated to protecting our residents and businesses. It is not an easy job, but it is necessary to keep Miami Twp. a great place to live and do business.
On May 7, residents will vote on Issue 8, a levy that will allow the police department to operate at the level of service we currently provide to the community. Your support is key in keeping our officers on the streets.
Without the levy, personnel cuts will result in a loss of half of our police officers and support staff. This means a decrease in police visibility, delays in emergency response, and the elimination of other important services.
Property value declines, the elimination of the personal property tax, operating cost increases, and general inflation have all led to a loss in funding. The levy will allow our department to recoup these losses and prepare for future funding needs.
In this election, we have a chance to ensure our department is properly funded for years to come. Your support for Issue 8 will ensure our community remains safe and protected. JOHN C. KRUG, MIAMI TWP. MR. KRUG IS CHIEF OF POLICE.
Base your vote on facts, not emotions
As voters consider their options regarding the Tipp City school levy on May 7, I am reminded that we often make decisions based on factors that are of minimal influence. One of our bigger failings as voters is to cast a ballot based upon emotions, instead of practical concerns.
Both as students, then later as parents and citizens, we are at odds with educators for varying reasons, valid or not. For example, we may have been offended that “Miss Jones” may have noted that our son may need additional services. “Mr. Smith” meant to jokingly tease our daughter about her purple hair, but she felt gravely insulted.
Feeling powerless and angry, we sometimes seek retaliation upon these educators by voting “no.” Sadly, the individuals affected are not those who angered us, but the students whose public school education is ultimately crippled.
I ask my fellow voters to carefully consider your vote for or against the upcoming levy, based upon established, published facts and other needs. LYLE WHYBREW, TIPP CITY
Let’s preserve excellent city services
Citizens for West Carrollton’s Future encourages you to go to the polls on May 7 and vote for Issue 3. Your vote for Issue 3 will approve a 0.25 percent city income tax rate increase, commencing January 2014, for a period of five years.
If you are already paying 2.25 percent in the municipality where you work, West Carrollton’s 0.25 percent increase will cost you nothing. If you are not a wage earner, perhaps depending on Social Security, a pension, unemployment, disability or investment income, the 0.25 percent increase will cost you nothing.
If you are a wage earner working in West Carrollton, or a city with a tax rate of 2 percent or less, the 0.25 percent increase will cost you about $8 per month, or $100 year on $40,000 in wages.
We are confident that city administrators and employees have taken appropriate and creative measures to reduce costs in an economically challenging environment, while preserving excellent city services.
City services, such as paramedics, police, fire and others you count on every day, make up about 70 percent of the city’s operating budget. Being such a large part of the budget, city services cannot avoid eventual deterioration without approval of Issue 3.
City service is not just a number on a spreadsheet. City service is the product of dedicated hands-on people. Excellence in city services is vital to good neighborhoods. A vote for Issue 3 is a vote for good neighborhoods, and that is a win for every West Carrollton resident. DOMINICK RINALDI, WEST CARROLLTON
Know the proposal before going to polls
If passed, the proposed Beavercreek income tax will be collected beginning Jan.1, 2014. The property tax rollbacks, which are quite limited, phase in slowly over a number of years.
If you earn the Greene County median annual income of approximately $70,000 and you live in a home with the Greene County median value of approximately $160,000, in calendar year 2014 you will pay $1,050 in income tax and receive a $48 property tax decrease. In 2015, the decrease in property tax is $230 and you will again, of course, pay $1,050 in income tax. It is important to understand this proposal in detail before going to the polls. RICK BARTELL, BEAVERCREEK
Scenarios given on who would pay tax
I am writing to support the passage of the proposed Beavercreek municipal income tax. You may argue the merits of a city income tax, but I feel the main problem with this issue is that the average resident is completely confused.Here is a summary that may help the average person understand this issue. If you live in Beavercreek and …
• Work in a city with an income tax such as Xenia, Centerville, Dayton, Kettering, etc., you would not pay the income tax and your property taxes would go down $223 per $100,000 valuation of your home. It will take three years for the voted property tax levies in place to all gradually expire, so you would not see the full $223 until 2017 when the final voted levy (street levy) expires.
• Work in a city or township without an income tax, you would pay the income tax and your property taxes would decline as described above. If you are of average income or higher, you would probably pay more in income tax than you would save in property tax. For example, a wage earner making $76,000 a year would pay $1,125 in income tax. If their house is $176,000 in value, they would eventually save $393 a year in property taxes.
• Are active-duty military, you would not pay the tax. Your property taxes would be reduced.
• Are a retiree, you would not pay tax on Social Security, pension or investment income. Your property taxes would decline.
• Work in Beavercreek, you would pay the income tax. Your property tax would decline. If you are of average income or higher, you would probably pay more in income tax than you would save in property tax.
I live and work in Beavercreek and would have to pay the tax. The benefits of the tax are nicely described on the city's web site under frequently asked questions. MARK J. WALSH, BEAVERCREEK
Community has grown in 13 years
I feel it is important to set the record straight on Issue 3. The Clearcreek Twp. Fire Department, working into the 13th year of a planned 10-year levy, is now in need of funds to continue the stellar operations that we all have come expect and appreciate. A small group of people have chosen to make this out to be a “rich get richer” routine, spouting about $13 million and how our fire department is extravagant in their needs. These claims and their basis are simply not true. We do have a surplus in our township funds. This is the work of good stewardship by those who came before me and the staff who executes the needs of the community. These funds, however, are allocated to categories of business, much like all of us allocate our income to pay our bills, feed ourselves, put gas in our cars, etc.
We have experienced tremendous growth in our community in the past 13 years since our last levy was passed. Our fire department, like all our departments, has functioned with the needs of the community coming first and our trustees have guided that.
As the newest trustee that our community elected, I think it is very important to be educated on the truth and not fiction. I see the numbers and understand the need. Educate yourself. Go to www.yesto3.com. JASON GABBARD, CLEARCREEK TWP.
‘Excellent stewards of our tax dollars’
I am writing this letter in support of the fire levy in Springboro/Clearcreek Twp. (Issue 3). I have been a local first responder in neighboring Montgomery County the past 23 years, but I chose to live in Springboro because of the excellent schools, police and fire departments. I know firsthand how minutes, if not seconds, count in an emergency situation. These critical response times are directly affected by manpower issues, as well having serviceable equipment in place.
I have had the good fortune of having worked with Chief Robert Kidd during my career, and I can assure you there is no finer fire command officer out there. I have no doubt that he and his command staff will be excellent stewards of our tax dollars, while striving to provide exceptional service to Springboro and Clearcreek Twp.
Our police and fire departments are always out there to help us, and now it is our turn to help them. Vote "yes" on Issue 3. JOHN DAVIS, SPRINGBORO
Speak Up
The Centerville school board gets an "F" in ethics by trying to slide a once-failed school levy past the public in midterm elections with minimal publicity. I hope the students don't get the idea that the end justifies the means.
Centerville's Issue 12 is needed to maintain class sizes and help us avoid more layoffs and reductions in programs. We have all seen what levy failures do to the morale of a community. We cannot let that happen in Centerville. Together we have a voice and can keep Centerville schools and our community strong.
According to the information sheet about Issue 10, which is on the ballot in Centerville and Washington Twp. on May 7, the new levy would increase the cost of fire and EMS service from $91 per $100,000 home value five years ago to $142 annually. This is an increase of 56 percent. Has anyone's income increased 56 percent over the last five years?
Re "Income tax divides city," April 29: There is much I do not like about the proposed Beavercreek earnings tax. Still, I will vote for it because, under Ohio law, without it those nearby cities where people who work in Beavercreek live will continue to be subsidized by taxes on money earned in Beavercreek.
About the Author