BELLBROOK — Bellbrook school board members voted 4-1 to take the first step in placing a 5.7 mil continuing levy on the November ballot.
While all five school board members agreed that a levy was necessary to place on the ballot, board member Kevin Price voted against placing the continuing levy on the ballot, because he disagreed with the type of levy proposed.
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“Emergency is a term anyone is going to understand,” said Price, who was in favor of an emergency levy instead of a continuing levy. “I really think an emergency levy will help carry the day...it gets your attention.”
The type of levy that would be placed on the November ballot has been a conversation during several previous school board meetings. Price has argued that an emergency levy would allow the district to place a time limit on the additional funding, while the board debates alternative funding options, such as an income tax.
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Other board members expressed concern over an emergency levy due to the risk of losing the additional funding should a levy fail in future years to replace the emergency levy.
“I appreciate your point of view. I appreciate your vote as well,” School Board President David Carpenter said. “It represents that we can’t always agree on everything.”
After Tuesday’s vote, the district will now ask Greene County Auditor David Graham to certify a 5.7 mil levy for the November ballot. That process will determine how much each property owner would have to pay additionally each year should the levy pass.
A vote to approve the ballot language will still needed by the school board ahead of the August deadline for issues to make it on the ballot.
Voters previously voted down a levy in the March primary that resulted in the district having to make $2.5 million cuts over the next two years.
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