After much discussion and considering many budget factors over the past two months, Morrow County Commissioners approved two levies and one issue for voters to decide on Nov. 7.
The Morrow County Sheriff will have a one-mill levy for “support of criminal justice law enforcement.” The levy is for one mill for a continuing period of time to begin in 2017, with the first amount due in 2018.
Sheriff John Hinton said the levy would only be used for the enforcement division of the Sheriff’s office and would not be used for housing or feeding inmates in the jail. The Sheriff’s office does not currently have any levy specifically for the Sheriff’s Office.
The commissioners’ resolution for the levy states that the levy would be used for “funding essential services” of the Sheriff’s office. Some of those services would include, but not be limited to; deputy salaries, hiring of additional deputies, vehicle maintenance and equipment.
• Morrow County EMS Levy for two mills is the second countywide levy on the ballot. It is “an additional tax for the benefit of Morrow County for the purpose of enhanced emergency medical services a rate not exceeding 2 mills.” The levy is also for a continuing period of time beginning in 2017, with first payments due in 2018.
The Commissioners in their resolution “determined that it is necessary to levy an additional tax for the purpose of enhanced emergency medical services in Morrow County.” EMS presently has one levy that is a two-mill levy for five years. It will expire in two years.
• The third county issue for voters this fall is a request by the 911 Advisory Committee for a $25 increase per lot or parcel of property. The new rate is for a total assessment per lot or parcel of $50.
The commissioners’ resolution states that a charge will be imposed “for the purpose of establishing, equipping and furnishing one or more public safety answering points as part of the 911 system, paying the cost of operating and maintaining and answering points and of paying the expense of administering and enforcing such on each lot … at a rate of $50.00 per lot or parcel per year which is an increase of $25 per lot or parcel per year, effective 2018.”
