Ridgeville Twp. Eyes Fire Department Levy

Ridgeville Township Trustees are considering placing a onemill property tax levy on the March 2008 ballot for operation of the Ridgeville Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Dexter Benecke, RFD chief, said voters originally passed a one-mill levy for fire department operations in 1976. In 1984, voters approved making the levy permanent. Kevin Nye, Henry County auditor, said the tax currently raises $14,296.91 for the fire department. That figure does not include deductions for auditor's fees and tax delinquencies, he said.

Under Ohio law, property taxes are not allowed to grow with inflation, so the millage is reduced each year. The current millage is reduced to just under one-half mill (.5) for agricultural residential property. The millage applied to commercial, industrial, and personal property is just over one-half (.5) mill.

In an earlier meeting, Benecke said the trustees approved a resolution calling for a nine-tenths (.9) of a mill levy that would reset at the current valuation every year. Talks with John Hanna, Fulton County prosecuting attorney, indicated levies are not allowed to reset to current valuation.

Benecke said the Ridgeville Township Trustees will meet Thursday, Dec. 13, 6 pm, at RFD's fire station. At that meeting, he said the trustees will consider replacing the current one-mill levy with a new levy of the same amount. That would allow the levy to be collected at the current valuation.

Benecke estimated a onemill levy will generate about $24,000 to $25,000.