Perrysburg area voters will see three levies on the November election ballot, with communities and organizations looking for funds for trash pickup, police services, and school improvement.

Perrysburg Township is seeking a renewal levy of a 3-mills for five-years for police operations. The levy is expected to generate about $1.1 million for the township, and cost taxpayers $105 per year on a $100,000 home. The funds cover police department salaries, equipment, supplies and programs.

The current levy expires at the end of the year. The township’s Board of Trustees decided early this year to forego asking voters for new funds for the department, but says it needs the renewal to continue to provide quality police services. 

“We lost a lot of funding over the years. Some of the state funding we used to get is no longer there, so we’re dipping into the general fund to the tune of $1 million a year,” Police Chief Mark Hetrick said. “We’re down a couple officers, and we haven’t been able to buy cars in over a year.”

In the past, the township has purchased three or four squad cars a year to replace the oldest cars in the fleet. 

Residents in the city will be asked to approve a replacement levy of of 1-mill for two-years to for refuse services The tax generates about $550,000 a year and covers half the cost of refuse collection, Dave Creps, they city’s finance director said. The tax will cost resident about $31 a year for every $100,000 of home value, a few cents more than the current levy, which expires Dec. 31. 

Lastly, voters who live in the Perrysburg School District, will be asked to renew a permanent improvement levy. The tax, 1.9-mills for five-years, will collect about $1.5 million annually and will continue to cost the owner of a $200,000 home $9.70 per month. 

Permanent Improvement funds can only be used for maintaining buildings, purchasing buses and educational equipment. They cannot be used for salaries or the day-to-day operations of the school district. 

“By replacing the expiring levy, we will be able to continue to pay for necessary upkeep like roofs and parking lots without having those projects compete with our top-notch educational programming,” Tom Hosler, superintendent, said. “This levy is not a new tax and is integral in keeping Perrysburg Schools a destination district.”

Contact RoNeisha Mullen at: rmullen@theblade.com, 419-343-3299.

First Published August 15, 2015, 4:00 a.m.