MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City School District residents this spring are being asked to renew a 2.75-mill emergency operating levy, which would be in effect for five years. The funds generated by the levy pay for things like salaries and benefits, gas and electricity.
When the original levy was passed in 1996, said Treasurer Barb Donohue, the voters approved an effective rate of 4.99 mills. Because of increased property values, the 2.75 mills on the May ballot will bring in the same amount of money as the 4.99 mills approved in 1996. That means, she said, the district is not asking for new operating money, but is asking residents to maintain the current level of funding.
Should the levy pass, an individual with a home valued at $100,000 would be assessed $84.22 a year, or 23 cents a day.
If the voters reject the levy, the school board, said Superintendent Steve Short, “will have to try again.”
“We will have to look closely at the budget and see what it means for programs and services for our kids,” he said.
To estimate how much the tax will cost homeowners, individuals may access a tax calculator through the district’s Web site, www.mt-vernon.k12.oh.us, by clicking on Treasurer’s Office under the Main Menu prompts.
