Fairland stadium levy bites the turf

Published 5:28 am Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Fairland School won’t be getting a new stadium any time soon.

Sixty-nine percent of voters shot down the ballot issue, with 3,212 no votes and 1,463 yes votes on the $3.2 million bond issue that would have replaced the current stadium that was built in the early 1960s.

While school officials said a new stadium was long overdue, some taxpayers felt the economic situation was too tight for more taxes because they passed a school facilities levy a few years ago.

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A renewal of a one-mil operating levy in Coal Grove failed, 519 no to 442 yes. The levy brought in approximately $18,972 a year.

All the other levies on the ballot passed.

South Point voters renewed a three-mil levy that pays for a multitude of needs within the community. It passed 992 yes votes to 708 no votes.

“It’s for police, and street lights and recreations and a whole lot of things like that,” Mayor Bill Gaskin said. “It pays for our semi-annual cleanup.”

The Fayette Township levy that would combine their two service districts into one entity passed 1,469 yes votes to 982 no votes. The two fire districts and the two levies that are on the books now and apportion tax monies more equally between the two fire stations. Both will remain in operation.

The Rome Township fire renewal levy passed narrowly with 2,021 yes votes to 1,908 no votes. The levy is used to pay for new fire hydrants, new equipment, better firefighter training and other essentials, some of which are mandated by the state. It is also used to pay for such essentials as fuel for trucks.

The Elizabeth Township levy passed 688 yes votes to 501 no votes. The levy brings in approximately $12,000-$14,000 a year. This money pays for fuel for the fire trucks and other necessities that simply can’t be paid for otherwise. Without the levy, the department would have only $6,500 annually to operate.

In Perry Township, the levy passed by only 1 percent, or 19 votes, with 1,031 yes votes to 1,012 no votes. The one-mil levy there generates approximately $75,000 a year for equipment and other operational expenses.