Pleasant Twp. fire levy fails

Pleasant Township residents cast their vote Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at the Pleasant Twp. Fire Station in Catawba. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Pleasant Township residents cast their vote Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at the Pleasant Twp. Fire Station in Catawba. BILL LACKEY/STAFF
News
By Jessica Orozco
Updated May 3, 2023
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A Pleasant Twp. levy that would have funded resources fire and emergency services was rejected by voters, according to unofficial results from the Clark County Board of Elections.

The 2.5-mill property tax levy would have lasted for five years, and it would have generated $239,000 annually in new tax revenue for fire and emergency services related to the increasing cost of equipment, fuel, supplies, payroll and more, said fire chief Mike Willis and assistant fire chief Scott Williams in April.

Almost 63% of voters rejected the levy, while just over 37% supported it. That was 129 votes against and 76 for the issue, according to unofficial results from the small Clark County township.

ExploreLive election results: Click here Tuesday night for updates

The levy would have cost the owner of a $100,000 house $88 per year, according to the Clark County Auditor’s Office.

The levy would have allowed the fire department to continue to provide fire and EMS services, help with future plans in replacing the second fire engine that is 36 years old, repair and/or replace the brush truck that is 24 years old, and allow them to be competitive in bringing on and keeping personnel.

A Pleasant Township fire helmet sits on the rack as a resident casts her vote Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in the Pleasant Twp. Fire Station in Catawba. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

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Credit: Bill Lackey

The department had not requested an additional tax levy from the township since 2005, Willis said in April.

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About the Author

Jessica Orozco covers crime, courts, government and more in Clark County for the Springfield-News Sun. She previously covered crime and courts for The Lima News, and before that, Orozco interned at The Columbus Dispatch on the metro desk. Orozco has a bachelor of arts in journalism from Ohio State University, from where she graduated in May 2022.