Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the amount of money county agencies would be short if property taxes were eliminated. The amount is $50.3 million.
Delaware County officials touted the county’s success and previewed roadway projects and the impact of potentially abolishing property taxes as part of the county’s ninth annual State of the County address April 27.
Here are three things to know from the event.
Delaware County adding roundabouts, extending roadways as county grows
To keep up with growth, Delaware County is adding five new roundabouts this year. They are at the following intersections:
The projects will cost a total of $11.3 million, with more than half of the cost coming from county funds and the rest from state economic development funds, Commissioner Gary Merrell said.
The county is also planning an expansion of Byxbe Parkway, which will create a new four-lane road that runs from U.S. 36/State Route 37 at Glenn Road, north to connect with the existing Byxbe Parkway.
The project, which will use a combined total of $5 million in funds from the county and the city of Delaware, will start in 2027.
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Eliminating property taxes could devastate school districts, local government
Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa, in a prerecorded video, explained how the proposed constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes would negatively impact Delaware County entities, mainly the county’s four largest school districts. The proposed amendment is not on the November ballot yet, as groups pushing for the amendment have until July to collect more than 413,000 signatures.
“No one wants to pay more taxes, but the total elimination of property taxes – without a thoughtful and well-reasoned plan to replace that revenue – would do irreparable damage to our schools, our roads, our parks, our police and fire services as well as the many other services that we all depend on each day,” he said.
Kaitsa said property taxes provide the majority of most school districts’ budgets. Among four Delaware County districts, property taxes fund 40% of Olentangy Local Schools, 53% of Buckeye Valley Local Schools, 56% of Delaware City Schools and 68% of Big Walnut Local Schools.
Eliminating property taxes would create a combined revenue shortfall of $475 million for those schools, he said.
The revenue shortfall for other government agencies – including the Delaware County District Library, Preservation Parks of Delaware County, Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and SourcePoint – would be $50.3 million. The county’s 18 townships would sustain a combined shortfall of $86 million, he said.
Kaitsa said reforms will take effect this year to lessen the tax burden on Ohioans. Reforms include limiting the 20-mill floor to the rate of inflation, limiting inside millage to the rate of inflation, and expanding the owner occupancy credit while eliminating the nonbusiness credit.
These reforms, Kaitsa said, mean that going forward, property tax bills will not increase by more than the rate of inflation for existing levies. Property taxes will only increase by more than the rate of inflation if voters approve additional levies.
Kaitsa is not alone in opposing the proposed amendment. Education groups, unions, business leaders and local officials have banded together to oppose the amendment petition drive.
County celebrates Commissioner Barb Lewis ahead of retirement
After touting Delaware County’s success, officials celebrated outgoing Commissioner Barb Lewis, who is retiring and not seeking reelection this November. She will leave office in December after three terms as commissioner and 19 years of public service in Delaware County. She previously served as a Genoa Township Trustee from 2007 until her election to county commissioner in November 2014.
In a prerecorded video that was a surprise to Lewis, other county officials, including Merrell and fellow Commissioner Jeff Benton, thanked Lewis for her dedication to Delaware County.
Merrell said most people see Lewis as a mild-mannered person, but he has seen the other side of her and knows she is a force when it comes to getting a result for county residents. He said she has been a difference maker in the county and her passion, courage and tenacity will be missed as she retires.
“I know you’ll be 100% committed until, at the end of the year, you walk out the door, and then you’ll be 100% committed to whatever you encounter beyond that door,” Merrell said.
The video ended with a testimonial from a man named Dustin, a resident Lewis has not met, but whose life was impacted by the county’s Stepping Up Initiative, a program at the Delaware County Jail that Lewis has supported that prepares people to reenter society and succeed.
“It all adds up to a new life, and it wouldn’t be possible without people like you, Barb, who have worked so hard to get this program going and to keep it going,” Dustin said in the video. “I still have a long ways to go, but I’m on the path to health and happiness.”
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County touts road upgrades, warns against property tax amendment
Reporting by Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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