Our road levy was first placed on the ballot in 1989 & has always been a 1 mill renewal. In the late 20-teens, it brought in an average of $76,150. After the Nexus pipeline went in in the early 2020s, it brought in an average of $93,765, with only $90,650 brought in in 2023. As you can imagine, $90,000 - $94,000 doesn’t go as far as it used to – especially after the COVID pandemic & where roads are concerned. Over the years the Grafton Township Trustees have stretched the road fund (& all other funds) as far as possible. However, keeping the road levy at the same millage as it’s been for the last 34 years is unrealistic & unfair to our community. The Lorain County Auditor provided estimates of $109,604 for a renewal, $134,257 for a replacement, & $201,386 for a replacement with a 0.5 mill increase. The trustees voted unanimously to put an additional 0.5 mill on with a replacement levy.
Below is the ballot language for the upcoming road levy:
A replacement of 1 mill of an existing levy and an increase of 0.5 mill to constitute a tax for the benefit of Grafton Township for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing & repair of streets, roads and bridges that the county auditor estimates will collect $201,386 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1.5 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $53 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value, for 5 years, commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025.
Currently, the United States is experiencing high-than-normal inflation. Below are the average inflation rates over the past 12 years:
2011 3.2% 2014 1.6% 2017 2.1% 2020 1.2%
2012 2.1% 2015 0.1% 2018 2.4% 2021 4.7%
2013 1.5% 2016 1.3% 2019 1.8% 2022 8.0%
With rising inflation rates, the renewal & replacement-only options will not bring in enough to take care of our township roads.
As you can imagine, the decision to include an increase was not made lightly. It was made with the intent of providing the necessary services to our residents. We humbly ask for your support for this 5-year 1.5 mill levy. We welcome your attendance at our Township Trustee meetings, which are held on the second Tuesday of the month.
Respectfully submitted by the Grafton Township Trustees
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