Franklin Township voters go to polls Tuesday

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SIDNEY — Registered voters in Franklin Township will be going to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 6, to cast their votes on two tax levies. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Both levies are renewals but one of them includes an increase.

“We had wanted the issue on the May ballot but I didn’t put the right wording,” said Franklin Township Fiscal Officer Deb Bodenmiller.

An August election is always on the Secretary of State’s yearly list for possible election dates. This year, Franklin Township voters are the only ones who will be casting votes on Tuesday.

The first levy is: A renewal of a tax for the benefit of Franklin Township (excluding the Village of Anna and the City of Sidney) for the purpose of providing and maintaining fire apparatus, appliances, buildings, or sites therefor, or sources of water supply and materials therefor, or the establishment and maintenance of lines of fire-alarm communications, or the payment of firefighting companies or permanent, part-time, or volunteer firefighting required for such personnel under Section 145.48 or 742.34 of the Revised Code, or the purchase of ambulance equipment, or the provision of ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical services operated by a fire department or firefighting company, or for the payment of other related costs at a rate not exceeding 0.6 mill for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.06 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2019, first due in calendar year 2020.

The second levy is: A renewal of 0.2 mill and an increase of 0.4 mill to constitute a tax for the benefit of Franklin Township (excluding the Village of Anna and the City of Sidney) for the purpose of providing and maintaining fire apparatus, appliances, buildings, or sites therefor, or sources of water supply and materials therefor, or the establishment and maintenance of lines of fire-alarm communications, or the payment of firefighting companies or permanent, part-time, or volunteer firefighting personnel to operate the same, including the payment of any employer contributions required for such personnel under Section 145.48 or 742.34 of the Revised Code, or the purchase of ambulance equipment, or the provision of ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical services operated by a fire department or firefighting company, or for the payment of other related costs at a rate not exceeding 0.6 mill for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.06 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2019, first due in calendar year 2020.

Voters will be casting a vote for the levy or against the levy. The current levies expire at the end of the year. Residents who live in Sidney and Anna in Franklin Township will not be voting Tuesday as they already pay property taxes and/or income taxes for either Sidney Fire and EMS or Anna Fire and EMS. The only ones voting are residents who reside in the township itself outside the Anna village and Sidney city limits.

“We pay Sidney and Anna fire for their fire protection,” said Bodenmiller. “We pay Anna Fire on a monthly basis and we pay Sidney twice a year.”

The levy’s wording, said Bodenmiller, includes emergency services “because Anna Fire and Sidney Fire will assist Anna Rescue. We are not starting our own EMS.”

Bodenmiller said the increase millage for the second levy is due to rising costs associated with their payment to Sidney Fire and Anna Fire departments.

Because the election is a special election, the trustees were required to pay 65 percent of the cost of the election, which was $892.

By Melanie Speicher

[email protected]

Reach thewriter at 937-538-4822.

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