Richwood will be back on the ballot next year with a second attempt to pass the village’s operating levy.
At the regular village meeting Monday night, council voted to bring the renewal levy back on the ballot in March.
An attempt was made in November to renew the 3.2-mill operating levy but the measure failed in a 305-281 vote.
Mayor Scott Jerew said he wanted to the impress upon residents that this wouldn’t be a new tax.
“This is a renewal and not a new tax. It is important we pass this to maintain the services that we offer for the village,” he said.
The most significant of those services includes funding the village’s police department.
Jerew has said previously he understands the pressure taxes put on residents, but the village needs the funds to operate.
Julie Spain, the village’s solicitor, told council that the current levy is set to expire in tax year 2023 and renewal wouldn’t start collection until tax year 2025.
“So we still have time to get it on in the spring but if we don’t pass it until fall or later, we’re going to be pushing it,” she said.
If the levy doesn’t pass again next year, the other option would be to revisit an option presented by the Andrea Weaver, the county auditor, earlier this year.
Weaver told council in May that the village was not receiving the minimum amount of inside millage it’s entitled to according to the Ohio Constitution.
Inside millage is defined as one of two kinds of millage, or funding sources, in the county that are levy-centric. Inside millage not voted on, however.
While there were several pathways presented, each involved brining up the millage number so more taxes could be collected.
Ultimately, the village decided not to move forward with the change but it could be reconsidered if the levy doesn’t pass.
Also, on Monday, the group heard from council member Reddy Brown who also serves as a member of the Opera House Revitalization Committee.
Brown presented a handful of options to council about what to do with the building, should council decide not to support continued revitalization efforts. He said council’s preference seemed ambiguous after data was presented to the board and no decision was made.
While council had heard some of the suggestions before, this time, Brown brought quotes to go along with the options.
The main options included staying the course with revitalization, which could cost upwards of $2-5 million. The others involved removing the clock tower and/or preserving the clock mechanism and demolishing the building. Brown said those options, while cheaper than saving the building, would still be costly. One quote he said was over $400,000 and so he wanted those council members in favor of demolishing the Opera House to consider the finality of the decision.
“The committee’s favorite option was still to repurpose it into a community center,” he said. “And so what the committee asked was could you guys take this and think about it. And shouldn’t we have a town hall in January to get the residents’ opinion. This is a pretty big ‘you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube’ moment and that might give the community one last shot to speak about it.”
Council agreed that a town hall could be beneficial but no votes were cast one way or the other.
Police Chief Jim Hill also told council Monday that this weekend would be the annual Stuff A Cruiser event where officers collect toys and food for the Richwood food pantry. That event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with distribution planned later that day 4-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 1-3 p.m.