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Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2012 Election
Issue 42
Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal)
Cincinnati City School District
Majority Approval Required

Pass: 45,253 / 65.22% Yes votes ...... 24,132 / 34.78% No votes

See Also: Index of all Issues
Information shown below: Summary | Impartial Analysis |

A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage. Shall a levy renewing an existing levy be imposed by the Cincinnati City School District, County of Hamilton, Ohio, for the purpose of PROVIDING FOR THE EMERGENCY REQUIREMENTS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT in the sum of $51,500,000 per year, and a levy of taxes to be made outside of the ten-mill limitation estimated by the county auditor to average eight and fifty-five hundredths (8.55) mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to eighty-five and five-tenths cents ($0.855) for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for a period of five (5) years, commencing in 2013, first due in calendar year 2014?

FOR THE TAX LEVY

AGAINST THE TAX LEVY

Summary Prepared by League of Women Voters:
In June, the Cincinnati Board of Education voted unanimously to place a renewal levy of 8.55 mills on the November ballot. If approved, it will continue the emergency levy that is scheduled to expire in December 2013, and, like that levy, it will generate $51.5 million for the Cincinnati Public Schools. The levy would take effect in January 2014 and would be for a five-year period.

Impartial Analysis from League of Women Voters
Revenue from the levy will be used for general operations in the district. Expenditures for operations include items such as school instruction and pupil support, transportation, central support services, etc. Cincinnati Public Schools, by law, must balance its budget. Their adopted budget for 2012-13 is nearly $467.5 million, and this levy comprises approximately 11% of that budgeted sum. Its failure would compromise the district's ability to meet its obligations to its students, their parents, and the community, as a potential budget deficit would force numerous cuts. CPS has already cut 1,300 staff positions over the last 10 years to adjust to declining revenues, but external factors continue to diminish the district's resources:

  • cuts in state funding of $18 million in School Year (SY) 2011-12 and a possible $44 million in SY 2014-15.

  • loss of funds from Hamilton County's "land bank" project which could cost the district $1 million in delinquent tax revenue,

  • loss of + $8 million from property taxes on the Convention Center that the City may be excused from paying,

  • loss of + $7 million as Duke Energy challenges its property-tax assessed valuation.

District officials continue to seek ways to work more efficiently without diluting the education of their students. Last year the district earned an "Effective" rating on their "report card," making it the highest ranked urban district in the state.

Voters may want to know what effect passage of the levy would have on their property tax amount. The LWVCA suggests that residents go to Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes' web site http://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org to obtain further information about their properties and the property taxes levied on it.

   Official Information

Hamilton County Auditor

What will this levy cost me?
Information from the Auditor is available for all proposed tax levies in Hamilton County. Go to the website to find your property information. Then click on "Levy Info" on the left side of the page.
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Created: December 17, 2012 13:48 PST
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