TOLEDO, OHIO – The Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition, a political action committee, has evaluated the five Lucas County and two City of Toledo levy requests and decided to take a NO position on all of them.
These levies represent $45.3 million in new taxation, and all together are taking $54.6 million out of the economy and shunting it to government.
“We’ve supported levies in the past when the board has provided performance audits, and when the financial data says they are being good stewards of our tax dollars”, said NWOCC board member John McAvoy. “Our opposition to the new taxation does not mean we oppose the organizations or entities making the requests, but that we oppose their decision to seek new or additional income at this time, given the state of the economy”.
In breaking down the details of the levies, the NWOCC found the following:
• Issue 5 – Toledo Parks and Recreation is asking for a new 10 year levy generating approximately $3 million per year
• Issue 20 – Toledo Public Schools is seeking a new 4.9 mill, 10-year levy on top of the 64.39 mills they already collect. They declined to do a performance audit before asking for new funds. TPS also has an $11.22 million carryover.
• Issue 21 – Toledo MetroParks is asking to replace their .3 mill land acquisition levy with a new .9 mill operating levy.
• Issue 23 – The Toledo Lucas County library is asking for a 5 year, 45% increase
• Issue 24 – Mental Health & Recovery Services is asking for a 10 year, 67% increase
• Issue 25 – Children Services Board is asking for a 10 year, 85% increase
• Issue 26 – Imagination Station is asking for a 5 year property tax levy generating $1.3 million. The NWOCC opposes the renewal levy for Imagination Station on the principle that private entities should be self-sufficient and not funded through property taxes.
The NWOCC agrees with elected township officials who have also opposed these levies, and also feels these levies are not so important that a family should lose their home if they cannot afford to pay the additional property taxes.
The NWOCC urges votes to carefully consider their vote on these 7 levies. These taxes will be an unfair burden on the lower and middle class in Lucas County, adding an additional $390 annually to the tax bill of a property valued $100,000. Moreover, these taxes are not for essential services such as roads or police and fire protection, but for parks, recreation and quality of life.
“Now is not the time to raise taxes, especially by those percentages”, said McAvoy. “Many in our community are suffering, out of work or under-employed and just can’t afford to pay anymore for non-essential services”.
To learn more about the NWOCC position on theses levies, or to pick up materials, please go to the front desk of any Lucas County Library, or the NWOCC Office in Perrysburg, or our upcoming rallies.
To learn more about the Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition, please visit www.NWOhioCC.com, follow us on Twitter @NWOPatriots, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
