Pass road levy for Columbia Township

Everyone wants a smooth ride when they're driving down the road. But keeping roads in good repair isn't cheap, which is why Columbia Township is asking voters to give a small bump to the township's property tax levy devoted to road maintenance. The 5-year levy was first approved in 2011, and has been renewed twice since then, township Fiscal Officer Mandie Andrews told us Monday. It generates roughly $250,000 per year. The levy, however, isn't bringing in enough revenue to keep pace with the road work in Lorain County's fastest growing township. Rather than a straight renewal, the township is asking voters to renew the 1-mill levy and tack on an additional 0.5 mills. The measure is identified as Issue 21 on the May ballot. Passage would bring the total levy up to 1.5 mills, which would generate just over $495,000 per year. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 already pays about $21 per year, according to county Auditor Craig Snodgrass' office. Were Issue 21 to pass, the cost would rise by about $17 per year to a total of about $38 annually. That's far less than the replacement with an increase that township voters overwhelmingly rejected in the fall. That levy would have generated close to $884,000 per year at a total cost to the owner of a $100,000 home of around $70 per year. "I'm hoping the smaller ask will be reasonable to the residents, but I'm aware of the atmosphere" around property taxes, Andrews said. She said the township is responsible for maintaining more than 47 miles of roads, which is an increase from the 42 miles of roads the township was responsible for when the levy was last renewed in 2021. The township supplements its road levy with money from its general fund, but that money also is needed to help pay for other township services. (The township does a brisk business on permitting fees for new construction, but, sooner or later, the township will see its growth start to diminish and will need a steady income stream to continue paying for road maintenance.) Township officials also seek grants and collaborates with the state, the county and neighboring communities when possible. For example, the township paid about $248,000 to cover its share of a roughly $1 million project to repair North Marks Road. But, as Andrews told us, the cost of asphalt has risen considerably in recent years, as has the cost of other materials. Fuel also is more expensive, as any driver who's filled up his or her gas tank recently can attest. "This is my money, too," Andrews said. "If I didn't think we needed it, I wouldn't have been in support of asking for it." We believe Issue 21 strikes the right balance between recognizing the challenges of asking for a property tax increase and raising additional money to maintain the township's roads. Township voters should invest in their community by backing Issue 21.