By 1808Delaware
Delaware County voters will have an opportunity Tuesday evening to hear directly from representatives of four public agencies seeking voter approval of tax measures on the November ballot. The League of Women Voters of Delaware County will host an Election Information Night from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Tuesday, September 22, at the Orange Branch of the Delaware County District Library.
Representatives from the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board, Delaware Area Career Center and Delaware County Regional Transit Authority are scheduled to participate. Each agency will have approximately 10 to 15 minutes to explain its proposal, followed by questions from those attending. The meeting is open to the public.
Four Measures With Different Purposes
Although all four questions involve local taxation, the proposals differ significantly in their structure, duration and purpose.
The Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities is returning to voters after a proposed 2.7-mill renewal and increase was defeated in May by a narrow margin, 20,251 votes to 19,699. The November proposal is a 1.8-mill levy. The agency says it would replace a 2-mill levy that expired at the end of 2025, with final collections ending this year. The board provides services and supports to more than 2,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
The Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board is asking voters in the two counties to approve a renewal with a 0.5-mill increase. The board funds and coordinates mental health, addiction recovery, crisis response and prevention programs through a network of local providers. According to information released by the board, the proposal would cost approximately $50 annually per $100,000 of appraised property value.
Career Education And Public Transit
The Delaware Area Career Center has placed a 10-year levy renewal with a reduction on the ballot. The existing levy dates to 2001 and was renewed in 2005 and 2015. The November proposal would reduce the rate from 1.7 mills to 0.75 mills. DACC estimates the levy would cost about $18 annually for every $100,000 of home value. Revenue supports instructional programs, staffing, equipment and facility maintenance.
The fourth measure takes a different form.
The Delaware County Regional Transit Authority is asking voters within its service area to approve a 0.20% sales and use tax for public transportation. The tax would apply only to purchases already subject to Ohio sales tax and would continue indefinitely if approved. That translates to 20 cents on a taxable $100 purchase or $2 on a taxable $1,000 purchase.
The transit system became the Delaware County Regional Transit Authority earlier this year as part of a reorganization approved by county commissioners. The change retained existing service areas while giving the agency a structure intended to address future growth.
Questions Before Election Day
Tuesday’s program is designed to put representatives of all four agencies in the same room and give voters a chance to hear explanations and ask questions before voting begins. The League describes itself as a nonpartisan organization focused on informed participation in government and voter education.
Election Information Night will take place in the Community Room at the Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd. in Delaware. The library is open until 9:00 PM Tuesday. The program begins at 6:30 PM and is open to anyone interested in learning more about the four local tax questions that will appear before Delaware County voters this fall.
