EATON — This fall, Preble County voters will be asked to approve a levy of .25-mills for the purpose of funding health programs of the Preble County General Health District.

The levy would be a replacement of a portion of an existing levy, but is at a reduction of .05-mills.

Public Health officials met with Preble County Commissioners on Wednesday, July 26, to request the levy be placed on the Tuesday, Nov. 7, ballot.

Commissioners entered into executive session to discuss the proposed measure and “make some phone calls,” and discuss with County Auditor Lavon Wright “some different valuations and things like that,” Commissioner Adam Craft noted upon the board’s return from executive session.

“I move we receipt of this estimate of revenue, and it is from .3 to .25 is the change and their valuation on this levy,” Haber said. “They asked for the valuation to stay at $981,687,001 or $9. It is locked in at that. This is ‘22 values. So on this levy it would be locked in at that amount.” Commissioners voted to accept the valuation, then moved on to act on the resolution placing the issue before voters.

The resolution noted: “On July 25, 2023, the Board of Health of the Preble County General Health District certified to the Board of Preble County Commissioners, Preble County, Ohio that the amount of taxes which may be raised within the ten-mil limitation will be insufficient to provide an adequate amount for its necessary requirements, and asked that its current 0.3 mills levy be replaced by a .25 mills levy, which is a reduction of .05 mills, for the purpose of health programs of the General Health District, for five years; and,

“The amount of taxes which may be raised within the ten-mill limitation will be insufficient to provide an adequate amount for the necessary requirements of the Board of Health of the Preble County General Health District, Preble County, Ohio; now therefore be it resolved, by the Board of Preble County Commissioners, Preble County, Ohio, two-thirds of all members elected thereto concurring, that it is necessary to levy a replacement tax of a portion of an existing levy, being a reduction of .05 mills, to constitute a tax for the purpose of health programs of the General Health District that the county auditor estimates will collect $245,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding .25 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $9 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for 5 years commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025 as provided in Ohio Revised Code 3709.29, 5705.191 and 5705.192; and further be it resolved, that the county auditor estimates that the levy reduction of .05 mills for each $1 of taxable value, amounts to $2 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value; and further be it resolved, that the question of said levy be submitted to the electors of said Preble County at the General election to be held at the usual voting places within said Preble County on the 7th day November, 2023; and be it further resolved, that said levy be placed upon the current year after the February settlement next succeeding the election, if a majority of the electors voting thereon vote in favor thereof; and be it further resolved, that the Clerk of the Board of Preble County Commissioners is hereby directed to certify a copy of this resolution and the Certificate of Estimated Property Tax Revenue from the county auditor to the Board of Elections Preble County, Ohio not less than 90 days before the election upon which it will be voted and notify the Board of Elections to cause notice of election on the question of levying said tax to be given as required by law.”

“For discussion. I would just like to point out that in reviewing the opinion from the Attorney General on March 28 2001, Revised Code section 3709.29 kind of ties the Board of County Commissioners’ hand if we if we are in receipt of a resolution from the general health district which they have attached and done. So that says that they will be inefficient if the web is not put on the ballot. So with that in mind, I think that the board of county commissioners at this point is is kind of tied to the Attorney General’s opinion,” Craft said.

“What they want is what they want,” Haber added. “So this is tied to the election and that amount. That is the exact amount that they will receive.”

“Since Covid, they haven’t been getting the total number of grants and they’ve been depleting their revenue and according to the budget this year they would have $1,863, so I think they show what they need,” he continued.

‘Just for discussion, the commission never takes this lightly,” Craft said prior to the vote. “It’s always tough to go out and ask the voters to decide on whether or not they want more of their money given over to the county for services, but in this case, the attorney general kind of makes it easy for us.”

Commissioners Craft and Haber voted 2-0 (Commissioner Rachael Vonderhaar was absent) to approve the measure for placement on the November election ballot.

Voters turned down an additional tax levy for funding for the Health District in the November 2022 election, with 9,928 voting against and 5,617 voting for it.

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.