Voting yes for the CH-UH school levy makes 'cents'

To the Editor:

In November, there will be a levy on the ballot for Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. As opposed to the school levy passed in 2013, which can only be used for renovations, this levy is only for school operations. 

It is a fair question to ask why the CH-UH Board [of Education] periodically turns to voters asking for more money for our schools’ operating expenses. In 1976, HB 920 was passed in Ohio. Under this law, the dollar amount of taxes collected by a school district can only increase with the passage of a levy. When a levy passes, the dollar amount (NOT the tax rate) is frozen until a new levy is approved. 

As annoying as it might be for taxpayers to see levies on the ballot every few years, there is good news here for household budgets: The Federal Reserve has set a target inflation rate at 2 percent. If taxes were to annually go up at this rate, in 2019 taxpayers would pay 6 percent more than they do now. If the school levy passes in November, taxes will go up by 5 percent in the first year, and then be flat for the next two years.

I encourage people to vote “Yes” for the school levy this November. It makes "cents" for everyone’s budget!