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Perrysburg leaders move to place refuse levy on November ballot
Summary
Council members advanced Resolution 45-2025 to place a refuse levy exceeding ORC 5705.19(B) on the Nov. 2025 ballot; finance staff said the levy would cover premium refuse services and the citys current refuse budget shortfall.
Perrysburg City Council on May 20 moved to allow a first reading of Resolution 45-2025, which would place a refuse levy that exceeds Ohio Revised Code section 5705.19(B) on the Nov. 2025 ballot.
The resolution was introduced for suspension of the rules to permit a first reading by number and title only; the motion to suspend the rules passed on a roll-call in which Council Members Fuller, Coleman, McCarthy, Van Hagen, Weber and Wilson voted yes. Finance staff presented the details to the council prior to the introduction.
Why it matters: Finance Director Amber Rathburn described the measure as a levy to be decided by voters and said it would fund the citys refuse program rather than drawing additional dollars from the general fund. Rathburn said, “the legislation allows us to put the refuse levy on the ballot in November for the residents to vote on.” She told the committee that, when broken down, the levy would amount to about $7.06 per $100,000 of a home's assessed value.
Committee material reviewed by the council shows the city currently budgets $1,900,000 for refuse collection; about $1,000,000 of that comes from the general fund, Rathburn said. She listed services the levy would cover if approved: unlimited curbside bulk pickup, brush and leaf collection, and a carry-in/carry-out program for senior residents and people with mobility issues.
Council discussion at the meeting focused on whether the levy would be a replacement levy and on timing for ballot placement. The meeting record does not show final adoption of the levy ordinance; only that the council voted to suspend rules to allow the first reading. Subsequent readings, a final vote, and final ballot certification would follow the councils legislative process and county election deadlines.
Staff noted that if the city retained refuse collection costs in the general fund instead of seeking voter approval, other general-fund services could face cuts to cover the ongoing expense.
The finance committee packet and public meeting minutes list no breakdown of how many households would be affected or the exact millage rate; those specifics were not specified in the presentation and would be set in later ordinance language if the council advances the measure.
