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The bond will go toward two new pre-K through 12th-grade buildings. One building will be constructed on the Kenton Ridge side of the district, the other will be built on the Northeastern side.
“It feels great that our community supported our plan and it’s really a win for our community,” Superintendent John Kronour said.
The state will contribute about $40 million to the project. The bond will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $295 a year.
Now that the bond has passed, Kronour said it’s time for the district to get to work to prepare to build the schools.
“Next up for us is to start really working on the planning stage,” Kronour said. “We will get with the (state school construction commission) to get everything in place for them and then we will start working with the staff and the community to plan the layout for the new schools.”
Virtually the same bond issue was presented to voters in November and rejected.
Urbana income tax rejected
A proposed city of Urbana income tax hike failed Tuesday that would have provided additional money for police and fire operations.
Voters cast 1,067 ballots against the tax increase and 558 in favor of it, according to final, unofficial results.
The issue would have raised Urbana’s income tax from 1.4 to 2 percent.
“I’m disappointed it didn’t pass,” Urbana Mayor Bill Bean said. “The fire and police need to be funded. We’re being really stretched and I don’t know what we’re going to do. There’s a possibility we might bring it back in November and really have a concerted effort to explain it to the public. I don’t think we did a good job presenting it to the public but maybe next time we will.”
Since 2010, Urbana City Administrator Kerry Brugger has said calls for service to the Urbana Police Division have risen 10 percent, while fire and emergency medical service calls have climbed 17 percent since 2011.
The city had said the extra money would have provided funds for several safety service projects including police body cameras, a replacement fire engine and a secured impound storage lot.
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Graham Local Schools tax increase rejected
Graham residents rejected a 1 percent earned income tax increase for Graham Local Schools on Tuesday.
The levy failed by 1,738 votes against to 1,645 votes in favor of the tax increase, according to final, unofficial results.
The income tax would have lasted five years and generated about $1.9 million if approved. The district’s current budget is about $19 million.
Graham voters rejected a similar levy in November. The 1 percent tax on earned income would have cost someone making $30,000 annually about $300 a year.
The district expects to cut about $1.5 million to balance its budget, Superintendent Kirk Koennecke said.
“This will lead to some really hard actions that we are going to have to take to make these cuts,” Koennecke said. “Cuts are going to have to happen to balance the budget.”
Expected cuts include changing the transportation model for the first time in district history, eliminating about 15 classified staff members and raising participation fees.
The board of education will have to make the final decision on the cuts soon, Koennecke said.
Clark County Juvenile Court judge
Katrine Lancaster won the Republican primary race for Clark County juvenile court judge, defeating incumbent Robert Vaughn.
Lancaster had 6,486 votes compared to 5,238 for Vaughn, according to final, unofficial results.
No Democrats have filed to run for the seat in November so the winner of Tuesday’s primary will take over the job next year.
“I ran a race that was focused on my qualifications and my activities in the community,” she said. “As a result of that I had a really amazing number of grassroots folks that came forward and supported me from all sectors of our community.”
Lancaster has worked as a magistrate in Clark County since 2000. She also worked for eight years at the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services. This is the first time Lancaster has sought elected office, and she said she is only interested in positions in the juvenile court system.
Vaughn is currently serving in the juvenile court seat after he was appointed to replace Judge Joseph Monnin, who retired after a 22-year career with the court. He’s a former Cedarville University law professor who also served seven years as a staff attorney at the Ohio Supreme Court and later moved into private practice.
New Carlisle Fire Levy
New Carlisle voters passed a fire levy that will generate money for upgrades at the city’s fire and EMS station.
Voters approved the levy by 331 votes to 209 votes, according to final, unofficial results.
The 3-mill, five-year levy will replace a fire engine and a medic unit with about 140,000 miles on it. The levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $105 per year.
“Our Fire/EMS Department has an aging fleet issue and we will need to make some drastic capital purchases over the next few years just to maintain the service levels we currently operate at, let alone try to improve,” City Manager Randy Bridge said leading up to the election.