Council discusses tax levies

Fort Recovery residents may vote on two village tax levies in the November general election.
Village council briefly discussed the possibility of seeking the levies at its meeting Monday night with a final decision to come later. It also reviewed its 2017 budget.
Council must decide soon whether it’ll put the two tax measures on the ballot. It is required to notify the Mercer County Board of Elections by August 10.
The two levies would be for the general fund and street improvement.
Current levies expire next year, but village administrator Randy Diller explained that putting them up to a vote a year early allows a second chance in case they are rejected.
The village has previously decided to have the tax levies renewed instead of replaced, meaning that they based on the assessed value from when they first passed.
The two levies expiring next year have been in place for more than 20 years, according to Diller.
“We’ve had great support in the past from the people here and we appreciate that,” he said.
Additionally, council reviewed its 2017 budget for the first time. It will review the budget again at its June 20 meeting.
The village must submit its budget to Mercer County by July 15.
“In the end it’s to show what you are doing but also to show what you have,” Diller said of that deadline.
For now, officials indicated that the budget is a sort of rough draft. Diller said the budget reviewed is the estimate at “what we see happening in the next year.”
“Basically what we do is discuss with department heads needs they can see for next year. Well, that can change next month but we are doing the best we can,” he said.
He added that there is an effort in the budgeting process to line things up so they all fall in one year’s budget.
“We’ve got something we are doing this year yet and we got something we need to get done but will be probably be next year,” he said.
In other business, council members Dave Bretz, Erik Fiely, Dave Garman, Scott Pearson, and Allen Post, absent Cliff Wendel:
•Rescheduled its meeting that falls on July 4 to 6 p.m. June 27.
•Heard from village solicitor and grants administrator Erin Minor, who said she will soon submit a Rec Trail Grant, and recently submitted an NatureWorks Grant proposal for about $16,000 to use toward purchasing two expression swings and rubber surfacing at Community Park.
•Learned that all three proposals submitted to the Local Government Safety Capital Grant were rejected, but that the village will receive $125,000 in state funds that will be used for tennis courts, basketball courts and additional parking in Community Park. Construction on those projects is slated for next year.