Grove City School Board discusses increase in property taxes to fund renovation
May 7—GROVE CITY — With the $18 million Grove City High School renovation plan already approved, the school board is now being challenged with a decision on raising the property tax millage now, or delaying it for a year or longer.
The board can raise the millage rate by as much as 4.97 mills this year, which would be up to 7% on top of the current 71-mill tax levy. The average Grove City resident has a property with an assessed value of $17,550. Each mill would increase taxes on that property by $17.55 a year.
At Monday's school board work session, Business Manager Beth Harris gave a two-hour presentation on the financial state of the school district. While there were a lot of details and considerations, the main takeaway was that Grove City's tax rate is roughly in the middle of Mercer County's 12 school districts, meaning there is room to increase while still not being the highest in the county.
She said the district does have the budgetary reserve that could be used to avoid a huge raise, but it would be drain the reserve and leave the district in dire need of a huge raise soon. A final takeaway is that with promised government assistance, residents would not feel a 1- to 1.5-mill raise.
The board's meeting was just a work session for discussion, and no action could be taken. Board members struggled to come up with a number they would want to set the millage at.
Board President Douglas Gerwick and member Ryan Thomas favored raising it all the way to 4.97 to maximize the revenue.
"We had years in the past where we raised it one or two when we could have gone three," Gerwick said. "Now we sit here regretting that decision. We can't fix the past but we can improve the future."
Other board members such as Jeffrey Tedford and Connie Nichols wanted to save a little space and raise it by 4.5 mills. The difference between 4.97 and 4.5 is roughly $50,000 for the district.
Another board member criticized the board's actions and decision that led them here, saying he wouldn't want to raise it by more than one or two mills.
"I sit here and I have to wonder what is the most responsible decision. I feel that we have been irresponsible in our actions and hastily pushing things along," board member Randy Arnold said. "We have been irresponsibly spending money before we have it. Now I have to decide whether I want to help get us out of this debt, or if I want to stop enabling it."
Nichols, Thomas and Superintendent Jeffrey Finch argued that decisions made in recent memory were not hastily done, but rather a result of previous boards not taking actions and repairs being necessary for the safety of the students.
Members of the board also expressed a fear that the public could look to vote in new board members next election with an agenda of lowering taxes, at risk of damaging the school further.
"I need to say, I hear it from people all the time in parking lot talk when they pass me. Everyone complains and complains, but they don't show up to the meetings. That's a problem," Arnold said. "If people really want to be heard and share their opinions they need to come."
The voting meeting for this decision will be at 7 p.m. Monday in the board room of the central office.
Ty Kohler can be contacted at tkohler@alliednews.com.
