The Ohio Controlling Board met on August 7th to approve our Classroom Facilities Assistance Program project. This approval is the final step in the process of having State funds appropriated to co-fund the construction of our new Elementary School. With the current and projected revenue from PILOT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) payments from the South Afton Industrial Park, the District anticipates being able to fund the local share of the cost of our new Elementary School without the need to ask the residents of the Williamsburg Local School District for a Bond Levy.
In 2009, the residents of the Williamsburg Local School District passed an Emergency Levy to help with the operating costs of the District. The Emergency Levy, limited to five years, was renewed in 2013 and again in 2018. This is a fixed amount levy that brings in $996,826 per year.
The Board passed a Resolution on August 4th to place a Substitute Levy on the November 7th Ballot instead of renewing the existing Emergency Levy. The Substitute Levy is a continuation, or renewal, of the Emergency Levy. The Substitute Levy will place no new taxes on current homeowners and businesses. There are two distinctions between the Substitute Levy and the Emergency Levy. First, the Substitute Levy will not be limited to five years but will be a continuing levy. Second, whereas the revenue collected with an Emergency Levy does not grow, even with new construction, a Substitute Levy can capture new revenue when new homes or businesses are built within the District. Again, a Substitute Levy places no new taxes on current homeowners and businesses.