Renew Oberlin city levies

Oberlin voters have a long history of passing tax issues, and there's no reason for them to stop with the two city levies that appear on the May ballot. In fact, Oberlin Finance Director Sal Talarico told us Monday that a city tax issue hadn't failed since he started keeping track in 1990. Both of the levies, identified on the ballot as Issue 3 and Issue 4, are renewals. "I think they're very critical to the operations of the city," Talarico said. Issue 3 is a 1.2-mill levy that generates $147,208 annually for the city's general fund, which Talarico told us paid for "quality of life services." That includes police and fire protection, recreation and parks programs, cemeteries and code enforcement. The money doesn't cover a huge share of general fund expenses, which run about $10.8 million a year, but it is nevertheless important in the long term. Although Talarico said the city might not need to make cuts immediately if the levy were to fail, it could happen down the line. "Everything counts when it comes to municipal budgets," he said. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $32.70 per year were Issue 3 to pass, according to Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass' office. Issue 4 is a 3-mill levy that generates $368,017 annually to help pay for the collection of garbage and recycling, a service the city provides, unlike other municipalities that rely on private haulers such as Republic Services. Talarico told us that the levy accounted for 33 percent of the more than $1.1 million the city spent each year on refuse and recycling collection. The bulk of the remaining funds comes from fees residents and businesses pay for pickup. Right now the residential fee stands at $10 per month. Were the levy to fail, it would likely mean a significant increase in that fee, Talarico warned. Part of the levy money in recent years has been set aside to pay off the new garbage trucks the city purchased after its fleet burned in a 2014 fire. Talarico said the city still owed about $146,000 on the trucks, but planned to spend $155,000 this year toward paying that off and setting aside funds to buy additional trucks. Each garbage truck runs at least $500,000, which means it can take years for the city to accumulate enough money to pay for one. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $81.75 per year were Issue 4 to pass, according to Snodgrass' office. Both of the levies would be in effect for five years if passed. They don't expire until next year, so the city would have another chance in November to ask voters to pass them, but that shouldn't be necessary. Voters should keep their streak going by passing Issue 3 and Issue 4.