Spring Valley voters are being asked to vote for an additional road levy on Nov. 3.
This Greene County village is asking for an additional .25 mill levy to help repair streets. The village also will be asking voters to renew an existing 1 mill street levy in November. Residents had voted on this levy five years ago.
Lori Carroll, who has been mayor of Spring Valley since 2019, said the village plans to use most of the funds generated to patch potholes and fix spots on the streets where there is poor drainage.
“The streets have been in such bad shape for so long,” Carroll said. “I try not to over tax the people in the village. I hope people understand that we’re just trying to keep the streets up and keep the town running smooth.”
The annual cost of the renewal for someone who owns a $100,000 home will stay at $29.78, according to data from the Greene County Auditor’s office. If the additional 0.25 mill levy is passed, the owner of a $100,000 will pay an extra $8.75 a year.
Annually, the .25 mill levy will generate an additional $1,800 for the village.
If the existing 1 mill levy is renewed and the additional .25 levy is also approved by voters, the levies together will generate $8,800 a year for Spring Valley.
Both levies will be for five years.
In the 2015 election, the 1 mill road levy, which is up for renewal in November, passed by over 81%.
Brett Bonecutter, village administrator, said street funds are running low and the village determined this additional levy would help fund repairs. Without the levy, Bonecutter said the village will not be able to keep up with repairs to roads and storm water drains.
“Money for materials and everything is going up, but our fund is not," he said.
Bonecutter said the village recently did about $45,000 worth of blacktop patching and that put a “big dent” in the street fund.
The village currently has about $50,000 in the street fund, according to Village Clerk Tina Bonecutter. The village general fund is about $146,000.
Nada Colwell, a village council woman and an employee at Slim’s restaurant on Main Street, said the village “desperately” needs the additional street levy.
“You can only patch for so long,” Colwell said. “The roads will only get worse and we’re getting busier here (at the restaurant) and a store is opening soon next door, so we’ll have even more traffic. We just need it to maintain the streets."
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