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Fire Levy

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1. Where can I find more information?

• You can find out more information, including the potential impacts and financial data by visiting the below link:
• https://stories.opengov.com/coleraintownshiphamiltonoh/published/dSM6ryRfI 

2. What is a levy?

• The Ohio Constitution states that property taxes shall be assessed at no more than 1% of value, unless otherwise approved by the electorate via a voted tax levy. This special tax is typically limited by the voters to fund specific expenses.
• The voters establish a set dollar value for a levy. This is the maximum amount of money that a levy can ever generate in a given year. Therefore, growth in property values will not lead to an increase in tax revenue.

3. What is a mill?

• A mill is the amount of tax dollars that will be raised for each dollar of assessed valuation. One mill is equal to $1 in tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

4. Is my home value the same as my assessed valuation?

No. In Ohio, your assessed valuation is 35% of your total home value. So, if your home is worth $100,000, then your assessed valuation is $35,000. This is the rate that the millage is applied against. 

5. How much is the tax and how many mills is the Fire Department asking for?

• The Colerain Township Trustees voted to place a 3.0 Mill Levy on the November 2020 Ballot. 
• The impacts to a home owner can be viewed in the below table:

6. If the new levy passes, how much more will each homeowner pay?

The amount that you will pay will vary based on your home value. To get a rough idea of the potential costs, please review the below table:

To figure out the exact cost, the Hamilton County Auditor has a tool on their website. The below document will provide you will the steps you need to navigate to the site and use their tool to figure out the exact impact on your property taxes.

How to Calculate the Impact of 3.0 Levy

7. How much money will this bring in?

• The amount of money generated from this tax was estimated to generate $3,485,920 per year. 
• Please view the Auditor’s Certification Form for more details: Auditor Certification Form

 

8. How long will this levy last?

• This levy is set to be a continuous levy. What means is that the increase will be permanent, unless the Trustees or general public take official action to lower or remove the tax at a later date.

9. Who pays this and how?

• This tax will be paid by all property owners and will be assessed with your annual taxes.

10. What will this money be used for?

• This money will cover day-to-day operations of the Fire Department. It cannot be used for other purposes and is limited to only fire and EMS operations.

11. When will this go into effect?

• If passed in the fall of 2020, the revenue generated from the levy will first be paid and collected in 2022. 

12. What caused the projected financial deficit and why can’t you stay within your own budget?

• Each year, expenses within the Fire Department rise with inflation. However, due to state law, revenues for the department do not increase. The Department has taken a number of initiatives to reduce costs over the past decade and has extended a levy that was supposed to last five years to ten years. The Township is at a point where it has to consider revenue increases, such as tax increases, or service reductions.

13. Why now?

The Fire District Fund is facing a deficit at the end of Calendar Year 2021. Due to a one-year lag in implementation of a new property tax, fall of 2020 is that last opportunity to raise revenues to plug the budget hole for 2022.

14. What will happen if the upcoming levy does not pass?

• The Township will have to reduce expenses by making a number of cuts.

15. How will services be affected if the levy does not pass?

• If the levy does not pass, the Township will be faced with a number of potential service changes and cuts. This could mean the closure of numerous lines of work or the closing of up to three fire stations.

16. When will service cuts go into effect?

• Service cuts will likely start as early as 2021 if a levy does not pass.

17. How can I make my voice heard?

• Please let the Trustees know your thoughts:
  • Raj Rajagopal - rrajagopal@colerain.org; 513-923-5008
  • Dan Unger – dunger@colerain.org; 513-404-3057; 513-923-5004
  • Matt Wahlert – mwahlert@colerain.org; 513-353-8852; 513-923-5002
• Please let the Administration and Fire Department know your thoughts:
  • Geoff Milz – gmilz@colerain.org; 513-923-5000
  • Frank Cook – fcook@colerain.org; 513-923-5043